Colombia: At Least 41 Are Killed Over Protests In Ongoing Political Crisis

[Bisha Monkey]

The dead include a ninth grader who went out to protest with his brother; an artist shot in the head as cameras rolled; and a teenager whose mother's anguished cries of grief — "son, I want to be with you!"

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On Sunday, President Iván Duque announced that he would withdraw the current proposal, and instead seek a new plan, this time borne out of consensus. "The reform is not a whim," he said. "The reform is a necessity."
On Monday, the country's finance minister said he would resign.

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Amid this anger, the country's former president, Álvaro Uribe, took to Twitter to say Colombians should support "the right of soldiers and police officers to use their weapons to defend themselves" against "terrorism."

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The latest balance offered by the Colombian Ombudsman's Office shows that, since Thursday of last week, 19 civilians have died in Colombia in the framework of the protests, for which it requests an investigation to determine the causes and circumstances of the deaths.

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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/world/americas/colombia-protest-deaths.html, https://www.europapress.es/internac...-contra-misiones-colombia-20210504093034.html

I have a friend living over there, he tells me police is starting to track and hunt down protesters in their own houses. This is fucking depressing.

 

[Yasuke]

This is insane.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Absolutely disgusting. This, as well as Uribe's reaction. As someone who is very far away and very unaware of Colombia's politics, it seemed like the country was moving in the right direction, and Duque looked like a moderate. Any Colombian who can tell me what's really happening?

 

[Serpens007]

Absolutely disgusting, been following this over the past days and it's all so fucking awful. Governments that have sell their public image to the world as being the good democratic governments of latin america only to start shooting at their own people as soon as they fight back their policies.

Stay strong, Colombia

 

[Nothing Loud]

Absolutely disgusting. This, as well as Uribe's reaction. As someone who is very far away and very unaware of Colombia's politics, it seemed like the country was moving in the right direction, and Duque looked like a moderate. Any Colombian who can tell me what's really happening?

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Duque wanted to raise public utilities and sales taxes on the poor and middle class (much of Colombia's economy doesn't get enough tax revenue because of how many workers work "under the table"), and people rebelled because they're like why fucking tax the poor/middle class more than they already pay. That's my understanding as a Colombian abroad from my husband who reads the Colombian news

 

[GK86]

Disgusting. Fuck the Colombian government. I hope the people win.

 

[Tochtli79]

Fuerza Colombia. Fuck Duque.

 

[Pau]

Absolutely disgusting. This, as well as Uribe's reaction. As someone who is very far away and very unaware of Colombia's politics, it seemed like the country was moving in the right direction, and Duque looked like a moderate. Any Colombian who can tell me what's really happening?

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Duque is only there by Uribe's blessing. Expecting him to be more moderate than Uribe is unrealistic. Santos tried that and the Uribe cult disowned him.

 

[Serpens007]

Disgusting. Fuck the Colombian government. I hope the people win.

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At least the tax reform was withdrawn, but, as it sometimes happen, problem goes much deeper and people will keep protesting.

The world really needs to keep vigilant over this. There are already multiple allegations of human rights abuse, ocular injuries, among other terrible stories.

 

[megabyte]

I've never heard Duque described as a moderate before. Right of Santos to be sure. Fuck him.

Not seeing much coverage on this in the mainstream news outside of that NYT article. Waiting to hear more from family in the country.

 

[GK86]

At least the tax reform was withdrawn, but, as it sometimes happen, problem goes much deeper and people will keep protesting.

The world really needs to keep vigilant over this. There are already multiple allegations of human rights abuse, ocular injuries, among other terrible stories.

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I have family over there and they have been struggling. I'm hoping to get in touch with them soon to make sure they are safe.

 

[Menx64]

same old Latam.

La misma cosa siempre con estos seudo presidentes. Bukele se hace el elegido y Uribe le da aire a los soldados para matar gente...

¿Cuándo aprenderemos?

 

[kyo2004]

[The Guardian] Colombia braces for further unrest after police react violently to mass protests

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/may/03/colombia-protests-police-response-unrest Pray for us... :(

www.resetera.com

Absolutely disgusting. This, as well as Uribe's reaction. As someone who is very far away and very unaware of Colombia's politics, it seemed like the country was moving in the right direction, and Duque looked like a moderate. Any Colombian who can tell me what's really happening?

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Duque moderate? Colombia going in the right direction?... fuck off. Colombia has always been a right wing government since the beginning. Alvaro Uribe Vélez has been the worst thing ever happen to our country in the last 20 years.

The spark of the lastest protest was the tax reform but there's more coming from them. Right now, there's a health reform coursing the Senate/house that wants to replicate the US health model.

Add the ruthless behavior from the Police/ESMAD/military from the last days/months/years to barely see what's really happening here.

 

[Chikor]

Not seeing much coverage on this in the mainstream news outside of that NYT article. Waiting to hear more from family in the country.

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You never see a lot of coverage in western media when the protests are against a government that is aligned with America.

p.s.
NYU is honoring Uribe tomorrow, so you can all call into zoom and see how America is laundering shitty right wing politicians.

https://www.nyu.edu/community/government-affairs/study-of-congress/news-and-events/sustainable-colombia-may-2021.html

President Uribe will share his journey and insights in pursuit of citizen and environmental security in his country, Latin America's oldest democracy. President Uribe's contributions and innovative programs focused on families' livelihoods and sustainability as a means to promote democracy and security will be highlighted as well as ideas on the future.

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[Deleted member 10629]

Fuerza, hermanos colombianos.

 

[kyo2004]

Por cierto, la reforma tributaria técnicamente no la han retirado del congreso de la República.

Estado de los Proyectos de Ley y Actos Legislativos del H.Senado, consulta de textos e informes legislativos

Consulta el estado de los Proyectos de ley Presentados ante el H Senado de la Republica en el periodo 2020 2021.

leyes.senado.gov.co

Hasta el momento está el anuncio de retirarla pero lo que siempre ha hecho el gobierno es reunirse a puerta cerrada con sus amigos, cambiar dos o tres artículos que vean medio graves y la vuelven a pasar tal cual.

 

[Dr. Mario]

Right, thanks everyone (and yes I'll also fuck off), a tax increase aimed at the poorer classes is always a dick move but especially with Colombia's GINI coefficient. So very right wing then.

 

[kyo2004]

BTW, here's an explanation of the last tweet from AUV. Basically, the right wing want to follow the QAnon route with Nazi ideologists teaching our military how to act. (Read the Twitter thread)

 

[Tochtli79]

^ I'm always dumbfounded by how easy it is to scare people by claiming "shady groups" want to destroy "the status quo". Like, the status quo that is fucking you and your loved ones over every single day? Remind me why that would be a bad thing.

 

[Baccus]

This is all true and more. The amount of military and police abuse in these few days is astounding, all wanna-be fascists are super-emboldened in this era. Young people are being shot on the streets and institutions laugh at our face and threat with more violence to "protect the property of the people". But all they do is just piss the people off more. It feels like this is the start of a radical shift, for better and worse (probably worse) on this supposedly "stable" (read: US sanctioned, capitalist) "democracy".

ACAB.

 

[Bisha Monkey]

This is all true and more. The amount of military and police abuse in these few days is astounding, all wanna-be fascists are super-emboldened in this era. Young people are being shot on the streets and institutions laugh at our face and threat with more violence to "protect the property of the people". But all they do is just piss the people off more. It feels like this is the start of a radical shift, for better and worse (probably worse) on this supposedly "stable" (read: US sanctioned, capitalist) "democracy".

ACAB.

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This is the police going rampant on the streets, they are making extrajudicial arrests and murders, the death toll is way above of what is being reported.

 

[kyo2004]

And you know what is the best idea from the President's Political Party?

Si bien Duque ordenó militarización, uribismo le pide ahora declarar conmoción interior

Esta figura, conocida hace años como el denominado Estado de sitio, le permite al primer mandatario asumir poderes que pueden llegar a restringir protestas

www.elespectador.com

Yeah... :/... More repression in the figure of a temporal super power for the president to act without consequences.

 

[JDSN]

Fuck the Centro Democrático and fuck the centrists like Sergio Fajardo.


Btw, this shit got out of control when the Minister proposing the reforms say that dozen of eggs cost 75 cents of a dollar.This dumb fuck was in a right wing show answering lowball questions and still actually managed fuck his own agenda and set the country on fire.

 

[Deleted member 721]

fucking fascist president

 

[sibarraz]

As a chilean who lived a similar situation 2 years ago (And that hasn't been solved at all to be honest) I feel terrible for what's happening in Colombia right now, the police should never murder people protesting from their rights.

Hell this hits too close home, Chile and Colombia are so associated with this, specially since some years ago the current presidents of both countries formed an alliance to denounce human rights violations in Venezuela will trying to sell themselves as bastions of human rights in latin america

Fuck the right

 

[celigio]

Fuerzas hermanos colombianos

Hearing horrible stories from a friend in Colombia...

 

[Markratos]

Another example of fascism at its finest.

Give them no quarter

 

[oreomunsta]

Todos los policias son hijueputas

Ojala que esten sanos, mis amigos Colombianos

 

[Bulletzen]

My girlfriend is in Bogota and she says it is really bad. Not just the violence with the protests, but also facing homelessness due to Covid (along with 3 million other Colombians). She was due to fly over her in August but it doesn't look like that will be happening. It's a fucking mess!

 

[labx]

Soy de Medellín, Colombia. Nos están matando. Son más muertos que 19 o 21.

 

[Pau]

^ I'm always dumbfounded by how easy it is to scare people by claiming "shady groups" want to destroy "the status quo". Like, the status quo that is fucking you and your loved ones over every single day? Remind me why that would be a bad thing.

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For the Colombians in power and who have money, the fear is legitimate in that they want to protect their undeserved privileges. They like the status quo. And anything is acceptable for the sake of the upper class's security, including the death of innocent people as long as they are poor.

 

[Bisha Monkey]

Soy de Medellín, Colombia. Nos están matando. Son más muertos que 19 o 21.

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What can we do to help? international media is basically ignoring this, most major outlets are barely covering this, and the ones that do are basically saying this are COVID related protests... They are doing everyhting they can do minimize the slaugther going on. :(

 

[labx]

What can we do to help? international media is basically ignoring this, most major outlets are barely covering this, and the ones that do are basically saying this are COVID related protests... They are doing everyhting they can do minimize the slaugther going on. :(

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No lo sé. La resistencia que estamos haciendo es poca, tanto por redes como en marchas. Mañana hay una gran movilización acá en Medellín. El gobierno, como sabes, está dando la orden de reforzar la "seguridad" con más tropas.

Basicamente...

We are doomed.

 

[tacocat]

This is the police going rampant on the streets, they are making extrajudicial arrests and murders, the death toll is way above of what is being reported.

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Terrifying.

 

[Tochtli79]

For the Colombians in power and who have money, the fear is legitimate in that they want to protect their undeserved privileges. They like the status quo. And anything is acceptable for the sake of the upper class's security, including the death of innocent people as long as they are poor.

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True, I can "understand" why they want to preserve their privilege. But whenever these sort of conspiracy theories get going you also tend to see a lot of middle class and even lower class people buy into that kind of fear mongering, and that's where I'm like... why does it worry you? Unfortunately the middle class in most countries is so preoccupied by being judgemental towards the poor they don't realise the rich and powerful are shitting on everyone beneath them equally.

 

[Serpens007]

BTW, here's an explanation of the last tweet from AUV. Basically, the right wing want to follow the QAnon route with Nazi ideologists teaching our military how to act. (Read the Twitter thread)

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Yeah, the idea of being a "shady force" always is thrown trying to justify the horrors. Here in Chile it was the same thing, President Piñera even said we were "at war with a powerful enemy". Later last year we got to know he actually believed we were at war with a Venezuelan guerrilla thanks to a stupid Army Report that used a photoshoped Instagram post from a Venezuelan youtuber as proof that Maduro's agents were behind the protests. It was all bullshit obviously.

As a chilean who lived a similar situation 2 years ago (And that hasn't been solved at all to be honest) I feel terrible for what's happening in Colombia right now, the police should never murder people protesting from their rights.

Hell this hits too close home, Chile and Colombia are so associated with this, specially since some years ago the current presidents of both countries formed an alliance to denounce human rights violations in Venezuela will trying to sell themselves as bastions of human rights in latin america

Fuck the right

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A picture of them when they went to Cucuta to teach Venezuela a lesson on Human Rights... the irony

What can we do to help? international media is basically ignoring this, most major outlets are barely covering this, and the ones that do are basically saying this are COVID related protests... They are doing everyhting they can do minimize the slaugther going on. :(

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Since so many international media are ignoring, sharing the news is a good start I think. Maybe look if there is any call to pacific protests in the front of an embassy where you live. But really, these type of governments get proud on their international figures that sharing the hell out of this does help in the long run

 

[HardRojo]

Holy fuck! That's worse than last November here in Peru during our protests. 2 university students died during the protests against the obvious coup by Congress. Man, Latin America (especually South America) is in a fucking weird situation right now.

 

[Sulik2]

While this is pretty crazy and its sad people have died, after four years of Trump in this country and the masses doing jack shit, its nice to see a country where the masses can still get angry and are willing to stand up against a corrupt government. I hope they are able to reform the country.

 

[kyo2004]

Today's update from a respectable medium (from my PoV)... If you can share with you circles to form awareness of the situation it'll be greatly appreciated.

UN condemns violent repression of Colombia protests after at least 18 die

Riot police rampage across streets, shoot protesters and charge at crowds with motorcycles in week of unrest across the country

www.theguardian.com

 

[Xita]

Horrible : (

 

[IggyChooChoo]

This is the police going rampant on the streets, they are making extrajudicial arrests and murders, the death toll is way above of what is being reported.

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This is sickening.

 

[Serpens007]

I didn't expect much but... I really hate this statement

 

[kyo2004]

I didn't expect much but... I really hate this statement

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Thoughts and Prayers 2.0: Democratic Boogaloo... :/

I hate myself for making comparisons but, if the protest were in Venezuela, I'm completely sure that every US media will have covered by now extensively.

And for add salt to the wound... fucking CNN en Español come with this.

}

Fuck CNN En Español.

 

[Deleted member 70788]

While this is pretty crazy and its sad people have died, after four years of Trump in this country and the masses doing jack shit, its nice to see a country where the masses can still get angry and are willing to stand up against a corrupt government. I hope they are able to reform the country.

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Why do we need to make this and these people's deaths as "as bad as this is … America sucks."?

 

[Chikor]

I didn't expect much but... I really hate this statement

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Garbage, but really, I expected nothing else, proping up and defending shitty right wing governments is the bedrock of American policy in Latin America.

I hate myself for making comparisons but, if the protest were in Venezuela, I'm completely sure that every US media will have covered by now extensively.

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If 19 people were killed in protests in Venezuela or Bolivia it would be above the fold in the NYT and they would have gotten sanctions by now.

 

[MetalMagus]

While this is pretty crazy and its sad people have died, after four years of Trump in this country and the masses doing jack shit, its nice to see a country where the masses can still get angry and are willing to stand up against a corrupt government. I hope they are able to reform the country.

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What I love about this post is that by framing the current atrocities as a "nice" thing that hopefully might reform the government you get to show your ass about being completely ignorant about how entrenched the right wing government and Uribe loyalists are and the degree of just HOW BAD things will get before people are able to "reform the country."

While SIMULTANEOUSLY shitting on the entire Black Lives Movement as apparently "jack shit" despite the amount of people willing to face bodily harm during the height of police crackdowns and Trump's strong man showcase.

So, yeah, congratulations on royally pissing me the fuck off.

Edit - sharing the Guardian article to at least contribute something more positive.

 

[Deleted member 70788]

What I love about this post is that by framing the current atrocities as a "nice" thing that hopefully might reform the government you get to show your ass about being completely ignorant about how entrenched the right wing government and Uribe loyalists are and the degree of just HOW BAD things will get before people are able to "reform the country."

While SIMULTANEOUSLY shitting on the entire Black Lives Movement as apparently "jack shit" despite the amount of people willing to face bodily harm during the height of police crackdowns and Trump's strong man showcase.

So, yeah, congratulations on royally pissing me the fuck off.

Edit - sharing the Guardian article to at least contribute something more positive.

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My thoughts exactly.

I mean my city got wrecked on the streets by riot police and a precinct was burned down…

 

[Juan29.Zapata]

What can we do to help? international media is basically ignoring this, most major outlets are barely covering this, and the ones that do are basically saying this are COVID related protests... They are doing everyhting they can do minimize the slaugther going on. :(

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If you're from a developed country, please start by not supporting this kind of government:

 

[kyo2004]

Update for today because not even here we're relevant.

‘No food and no fuel’: Colombia torn by protests and violent crackdown

23 protesters and one police officer killed after general strike over unpopular tax reform met with heavy-handed response

www.theguardian.com

 

[Bisha Monkey]

If you're from a developed country, please start by not supporting this kind of government:

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I didn't expect much but... I really hate this statement

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This is pathetic, "We lend our trust in the colombian government investigating the excesses and violence that they themselves ordered". JFC, staying silent would have been better...

Since so many international media are ignoring, sharing the news is a good start I think. Maybe look if there is any call to pacific protests in the front of an embassy where you live. But really, these type of governments get proud on their international figures that sharing the hell out of this does help in the long run

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I'm trying to give this as much exposure as possible, I even brought this topic with my local representative and he started to talk about it on his personal channel, so at least it is something i guess :|