People in #Colombia are facing police violence at an unprecedented level.

Protests started April 28th over tax increases on public services, fuel, wages & pensions, during a pandemic when the poor are hungry enough to steal farm animals & crops.

THREAD http://bit.ly/3biGI4y 

The tax proposal was withdrawn, but the protests are now about police violence in response to peaceful protests, and a general demand for the government to pay longstanding debts to the most vulnerable in society, such as Indigenous and Afro Latino people.

Violence during some protests has left 26 people dead, including a police officer, and more than 800 people injured, according to government figures.

Human rights organizations have denounced numerous police abuses and give a higher death toll.

“International (human rights) standards require limiting as much as possible the use of the (military) to control internal disturbances. The soldiers are trained for armed conflict, not for citizen security,” said José Vivanco, director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch.

President Iván Duque on Thursday invited union leaders to talks. How far the dialogue can go is unclear, however, as public frustration with his government predates the now-withdrawn tax reform.

The government says rebel groups have infiltrated protests & drug-trafficking enterprises are subsidizing demonstrations.

Protest leaders say security forces have been exceedingly violent & the govt is stigmatizing protesters.

Sound familiar?