Colombia’s defense minister was called to Congress on Friday to explain why he said organized crime is financing social protest in the country.
Defense Minister Guillermo Botero made the controversial accusation on Thursday, hours after police clashed with student protesters in the capital Bogota and allegedly attacked multiple journalists that were covering the event.
Anonymous photographer of weekly Semana
Colombia’s controversial ESMAD anti-riot police attacked the protesters and journalists after the peaceful protests began impeding traffic in the area.
The violent police response almost immediately escalated the situation as masked protesters counter-attacked, reportedly throwing “potato-bombs” at the ESMAD units.
Botero’s controversial remarks
Botero defended the alleged police brutality by claiming that social protests are financed by organized crime.
Guillermo Botero
The apparent attempt to discredit civilian protests and the attacking of journalists sparked fears that the government of Ivan Duque would return to violently cracking down on social protest and the freedom of press.
When Duque’s political patron, former President Alvaro Uribe was president between (2002-2010), police commonly accused protesters of receiving support from communist guerrillas.
El Tiempo photographer Cesar Melgarejo shows his injuries after allegedly being assaulted by police. (Image: Semana)
The backlash
Thursday’s alleged police brutality and Botero’s controversial backlashed almost immediately.
President Ivan Duque took distance from his defense minister, telling press that “social protest is a right.”
President Ivan Duque
The country’s Ombudsman reminded the minister that he violated international humanitarian law by linking social protest to organized crime.
Ombudsman’s Office
Social leaders, who are already terrorized by the mass killing of community leaders and human rights defenders, said “they are going to kill us because of his fault.”
Rios Vivos Antioquia
The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) said Friday it would suspend its collaboration with the National Police until the officers that attacked the journalists are punished for their actions.
Foundations for the Freedom of Press
Botero backtracks, sort of
Following the widespread condemnation of the alleged police brutality and the minister’s alleged stigmatization of protesters, Botero released a press statement in which he confirmed that “the Defense Ministry must guarantee that all citizens can exercise their constitutional rights.”
While confirming he understood that “one of these fundamental rights is that of public and peaceful manifestations.”
Nevertheless, the minister went on to claim that “we can not allow that organized armed groups conceal their interests behind this right of civilians.”
The Defense Minister, who is responsible for both the military and the police, earlier generated protests after claiming that social protests should be “regulated” and must count on government approval.