Marches take place throughout Colombia over the next days as part of the “week of indignation,” organized by social sectors to raise government awareness of how the armed conflict has affected them and to demand an active role in the upcoming peace talks.
Peasant associations from all over Colombia declared that they backed the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla group which will formally start in Norway’s capital Oslo next week, however the marchers are seeking to participate in the peace process, as they say the political and economic nature of the dialogues affects them directly.
On Saturday marches organized by left-wing movement the Patriotic March and other social sectors will take place simultaneously around the country in support of the peace process as part of the “week of indignation,” which started on Monday and has affected 25 of Colombia’s 32 departments with protests and marches.
In Bogota 116 popular organizations will congregate in different parts of the city and intend to converge in the capital city’s central Plaza Bolivar.
“The government has not heard the cry of social organizations … the government has refused these social and popular organizations a presence at the round table … where will civil society be represented?” said Carlos Lozano, spokesperson for the left-wing Patriotic March movement.