Petro reveals strategy to change Colombia’s socio-economic model
How Colombia’s judicial reform seeks to solve prison...
Colombia’s chief prosecutor says paramilitaries kidnapped, interrogated investigators
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal to press criminal charges...
Colombia jails US citizen on femicide charges
Colombia preparing tropical paradise for tourism after 500...
Hacktivists leak 178,000 documents from Colombia’s military
Colombia sentenced for exterminating political party
Colombia’s capital Bogota awarded for failing crime policy
OAS urges Colombia to release people arrested over...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
(Image: Enrique Ramirez)
News

At least one killed in police attack on indigenous protesters in southwest Colombia

by Adriaan Alsema April 2, 2019
4.7k

Police attacked indigenous protesters in southwest Colombia an hour before they were supposed to meet with the country’s interior minister on Tuesday. At least one person was shot dead, according to indigenous authorities.

In a press release, the Cauca Regional Indigenous Council (CRIC) said that an explosion was heard around 6AM and that around 7AM police attacked the thousands of protesters that are camping near the Pan-American Highway that has been blocked for weeks.

According to the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, at least one person was shot dead. At least one other person was injured after being shot at and an unknown number of protesters were allegedly beaten or hit by tear gas canisters in the violence.

Bogota promises talks, delivers violence

The offensive by riot police, members of the national army and armed civilians allegedly began an hour before the expected arrival in the nearby village of Santander de Quilichao of Interior Minister Nancy Patricia Gutierrez, who on Monday vowed to resume negotiations she had suspended on Thursday.


Colombia’s interior minister running from protest to protest


Multiple people staying in the camps in Cajibio were injured because they were hit by teargas canisters or beaten, the CRIC said. Two protesters allegedly were hit by bullets.

The CRIC said that heavily armed military personnel had taken position on strategic locations around the camp.

Police said that they had begun unblocking a road in the vicinity of the camp that had been blocked by Afrocolombian communities in solidarity with the indigenous protests on Monday.

En este momento continuamos trabajando para habilitar la vía Panamericana en el sector El Tunel y La Venta- Cajibio, que fue bloqueada por manifestantes, quienes derribaron árboles, señalizaciones de tránsito y postes de cableado. pic.twitter.com/hzwt9yuVEr

— Comando Región4 (Cauca, Valle y Nariño) (@Region4Policia) April 2, 2019

At the time of publication, it was uncertain whether the minister would still travel to Cauca as promised.

Other indigenous nations join protests, announce roadblocks

The violent outbreak followed a steady escalation of the protests that initially began in Cauca on March 10, but have since spread to indigenous reserves across Colombia and have received the support from farmers and afrocolombian organizations.

On Monday, indigenous peoples from Meta said they would block the roads leading to important oil fields in the central province.

The indigenous peoples demand the government comply with hundreds of made agreements in regards to access to ancestral land, healthcare and education.

Furthermore, ongoing assassinations of indigenous leaders and the government’s failure to implement a peace deal with demobilized FARC guerrillas have exasperated the ethnic minority.

Caucaindigenous issuespolice brutality

Trending

  • Colombia jails US citizen on femicide charges

  • Colombia’s war crimes tribunal to press criminal charges over failed plot to extradite former FARC chief

  • Petro’s reveals strategy to change Colombia’s socio-economic model

For patrons

Downloads for patrons

Related articles

  • Colombia’s VP says police prevented assassination attempt

  • Bogota refugee crisis spurs violent protest in Colombia’s capital

  • Francia Marquez

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Rss

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion