The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the “excessive” use of force against protesters in response to the recent killing of 19 people and the wounding of hundreds in anti-government protests in Colombia.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today (Tuesday) condemned “excessive” use of force by security forces in response to the killing and wounding of protesters in Colombia.
According to AFP, the agency announced: We are deeply concerned about the developments in the Colombian city of Cali, where police opened fire on protesters.
According to the New York Times, at least 19 people have been killed and hundreds injured in anti-government protests in Colombia in recent days. The protests were in protest of the Colombian government’s proposed tax reform program.
In the face of unrest, Venezuelan President Ivan Duque has ordered Congress to withdraw the tax reform proposal. However, this action did not calm the protesters.
Colombia’s central bank warned on Friday that failure to pass a tax reform plan would have a negative impact on the country’s economy.
In addition to Colombia’s capital Bogota, thousands of people protested and rallied in the country’s major cities, the Turkish news network T‌RTI reported. Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, witnessed the most violent protests and the burning of several city buses. Traffic regulations were imposed in the city following the intensity of the protests.
It is also embroiled in border tensions with its neighbor Venezuela. Venezuela’s defense minister recently announced clashes between Venezuelan armed forces and Colombian militants in the western state of Aporea. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino did not mention the number of casualties in the conflict.
Earlier clashes in the region in late March forced thousands of Venezuelan civilians to flee the border with Colombia. In early April, Padrino announced the arrest of 33 people, including eight killed and 34 wounded by Venezuelan forces.