More than 250,000 Colombians went on continuous protests during the last two weeks of November over a series of issues that have set strong clashes against the current government. The protests began as a normal workers’ unions strike but was amplified due to President Duque’s lack of response to acknowledge workers’ demands. 

Issues at hand include the government’s tax reform proposal which would provide tax cuts for large corporations but tax increase for average Colombians. The workers’ unions demand for the tax proposal to be rejected. The government states that there are has been no formal plans set and that consultations with workers’ unions will take place before any decision is made.

Students are also involved in response to an economic policy proposal from the National Association of Financial Institutions (ANIF), which would allow minimum wage to be set lower for young people and to pay people hourly wages. Moreover, there is an additional proposal to increase the pension age.

The government’s failure to honour a 2016 peace deal with left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels add salt to the wound as violence has begun to arise. Leaders from both sides, Duque and Marquez, are redeclaring war against each other albeit the decision being widely rejected. This did not stop Duque from authorizing an official bombing near a FARC base camp which cost the lives of eight children.

The failure to implement the peace deal has affected human rights defenders as they become highly targeted. 738 social leaders have been killed since January 2016 while ongoing violence against indigenous people continue to be a serious issue. 135 indigenous people have been killed since Duque took office in August last year.

Violent clashes between protestors and police broke out where at least five people have died since the protests began. The government has militarized the repression of protests by using tear gas, stun bombs and serious physical attacks against protestors.

One teenager has died due to suffering from a head injury after a projectile was launched by the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios - ESMAD). The death of 18-year old student, Dilan Cruz, further aggravated students’ attitudes towards the government and drove more students to join the protests.

Following the death of Dilan Cruz, PBI Colombia commented, “We regret the death of the young Dilan Cruz who in the exercise of his right to peaceful protest to claim his rights was the victim of a violent attack. Violence can never be justified or used to resolve conflicts. Solidarity and love for his family.”

Beyond the excessive use of force of the ESMAD, arbitrary arrests and house raids are two other tactics used by the police to repress protestors. Since the start of the protests, 839 people were subject to arbitrary arrest for participating in the social protests. Majority of these arrests were illegal, according to control guarantee judges.

37 house raids have been reported across three cities in Colombia, namely Bogotá, Cali and Medellín. These house raids were conducted in homes of human rights defenders, social leaders and alternative media services.

The increased presence of the National Army has been reported and has driven fear among protestors. Both national and local governments have issued a decree that would authorize mayors and governors to declare curfews.

These actions stigmatize protestors and signifies a loss of guarantee for Colombians to practice their right to peaceful protest. PBI Colombia has stated that “Social and peaceful protest is a human right, above all, disproportionate repressions cannot be justified against the civilian population.” They have asked for guarantees and respect for life.

PBI stands firmly against all forms of violence and believes that the right to peaceful protest is a basic human right that should be protected.

The right to peaceful protest has been enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 with article 20, stating that “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.” Assembly is defined as the intentional and temporary presence of a number of individuals in a public place for a common expressive purpose.

Read PBI Canada’s news update on Colombia.

Read a fuller list of other issues that sparked the protest.