Tag Archives: Bogota

Colombia’s riot police should undergo a “profound transformation” to prevent the disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, the United Nations urged in a report Wednesday. The U.N. human rights agency blamed the country’s public force for 28 deaths during months of nationwide protests this year. They included 10 deaths …

Violence associated with campaigning for Colombia’s 2022 presidential and legislative elections occurred every four days over the past five months, an observation group reported on Wednesday, warning that threats and killings may increase as voting draws closer. Between March 13 and Aug. 23, there were 29 violent incidents that claimed …

Murders of human rights and community activists in Colombia were down to 78 in the first half of the year, the country’s human rights ombudsman said on Wednesday, but the attacks persist. The killing of activists is a top problem for the Andean country, with President Ivan Duque vowing he …

Colombian police have confiscated 67 kg (148 pounds) of explosives from former FARC rebels who planned to carry out an attack in the capital Bogota, the government said on Thursday. Defense Minister Diego Molano said the attack was planned by leaders of dissident former members of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed …

‘These events are extremely serious and must be investigated diligently, independently and impartially,’ Amnesty International says. Colombian authorities unlawfully detained, tortured, and used lethal weapons against peaceful protesters during the demonstrations that have swept the country since April, said a new report from Amnesty International. Through an “exhaustive digital verification” …

The Colombian government’s chief negotiator on Tuesday rebuffed accusations from the leaders of protests that President Ivan Duque’s administration was not committed to talks, saying it was listening to people’s frustrations but would not allow violence. Last week, a senior protest leader warned that demonstrations – which have been rumbling …

A car bomb explosion at a military base in the Colombian border city of Cucuta injured 36 people on Tuesday, the defense minister said, casting blame for the attack on leftist rebels. The explosion took place at a base used by the 30th Army Brigade in the northeastern city near …

More than a month since Colombians first took to the streets this year to protest against a botched tax overhaul and the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions across the country are escalating rapidly with more than a dozen deaths over the weekend — and a risky new government …

Four people die in and around protest-hit Cali as talks to end month-long demonstrations remain stalled. Colombian President Ivan Duque has deployed military troops to the western province of Valle del Cauca and its capital, Cali after four people died in protests that marked a month of anti-government demonstrations. The …

Peaceful mass protests in Colombian cities, which were re-convened by the national strike committee, escalated into violent clashes with special forces and left dozens of people injured, the Red Cross said. “The Red Cross has assisted 139 people in the middle of the demonstrations in Bogota, mostly in the Yomasa …

Unions and student groups are set to march on the capital cities of Colombia’s 32 provinces on Wednesday to demand government concessions on economic support for the poor and other issues, following almost a month of widespread protests. Demonstrations that began last month have pressured the government and lawmakers into …

Members of Colombia’s national police force who are responsible for abuses or acts of violence amid ongoing protests will be punished to the full extent of the law, the head of the force said. Demonstrators and human rights groups have repeatedly accused police officers of killing civilians, excessive use of …

Union members, students, pensioners, and workers marched in anti-government protests around Colombia on Wednesday, as President Ivan Duque urged citizens to reject violence and stereotypes about demonstrators and police alike. The sometimes deadly demonstrations were initially fueled in late April by outrage at a now-canceled tax plan. But protesters’ demands …

The reported death toll from nearly two weeks of anti-government protests in Colombia rose past 40 on Tuesday, a day ahead of a planned national strike, while major cities warned of a prolonged peak in COVID-19 cases due to demonstrations. Violent protests fueled by outrage at a now-canceled tax plan …

Colombian officials say they have arrested two Florida men wanted in the United States on charges they illegally sold a bleachlike chemical as a miracle cure for the new coronavirus and other diseases. The Colombian prosecutor’s office said Tuesday that Mark and Joseph Grennon were arrested in the beach town …

Illegal armed groups are imposing strict Covid-19 quarantines in parts of Colombia where the state has a weak presence, threatening and even killing those who don’t comply, Human Rights Watch warned on Wednesday. At least nine people have been assassinated in recent months for either refusing to abide by the …

Hunger protests are increasing across Colombia as millions of people find themselves unable to obtain food due to the anti-coronavirus lockdown. In the capital, Bogota, scores of people demonstrated outside the office of Mayor Claudia Lopez on Wednesday, demanding that the authorities urgently deliver aid that has been promised to …

The Colombian government has begun providing some of the poorest residents of the capital Bogota with food donations as the city of seven million people goes through more than a month of lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a government order, dozens of the homeless are also given …

Eleven people were killed and four injured in an accidental explosion at a Colombian coal mine in Cucunuba, near Bogota, on Saturday, according to the local fire department. The victims were miners who were working despite the health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Most Colombians are quarantined by government …

Coordinated riots across Colombia’s prison system over the weekend left 23 inmates dead at one Bogota jail and two in a maximum security facility 100 miles northeast of the capital. Inmates started fires and protested violently against overcrowded and unsanitary conditions that leave them vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic. No …