Despite the concessions of President Ivan Duque, and despite an initial call for dialogue, protests continue in Colombia. According to the authorities, their provisional death toll is 24 dead.

The streets do not take off in Colombia

Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration against poverty and police violence in Bogota, Colombia, May 5, 2021. REUTERS - LUISA GONZALEZ

Text by: RFI Follow

5 mins

Despite the concessions of President Ivan Duque, and despite an initial call for dialogue, protests continue in Colombia.

Their provisional death toll is 24 according to the authorities, more than 30 according to social organizations.

On Wednesday, at the call of unions and social organizations, rallies were held in all major cities of the country.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Bogota,

Marie-Ève Detoeuf

In the city, the demonstrations took place in peace before being dispersed by the rain.

But the discontent is very strong.

A slogan sums it up: when the government is worse than the virus, the people are on the streets.

Ivan Duque withdrew his tax reform but has already announced that he is preparing another.

And he has a reform of the healthcare system that is disputed.

“

This mobilization has already obtained the withdrawal of the tax reform,

welcomed the left-wing Senator Wilson Arias in front of the crowd during the mobilization on Wednesday

.
Already this mobilization has forced the detestable Minister of Finance to resign.

► See also:

Colombia: unions and organizations call to strengthen mobilization throughout the country

But the demonstrators are still in the streets. “

We are demonstrating against government abuses,”

explains student Daniela Suarez

. Initially it was against the tax reform which claimed to abuse the middle class and the poorest people. And now, because many people have been killed since the demonstrations began, because these deaths hurt us and because repression is not the solution to all the country's problems. Land reform was the straw that broke the camel's back.

From now on, it is in fact above all the police violence of recent days that are fueling the anger of popular sectors and part of the middle class. The government continues to denounce the action of "

vandalo-terrorists

". He said he was ready to dialogue with the opposition and the unions. But the organizers of the mobilization do not completely control the movement which, for the moment, gives no sign of appeasement.

So, what possible outcome to the crisis?

The government must dialogue,"

said Senator Sandra Ramirez, "

agree to negotiate with the leaders of the mobilization and with all political and social organizations and especially with the young people who are today in the street, who claim their legitimate rights to education and decent employment.

Among the young people, many are calling for the resignation of Ivan Duque.

The far left has taken the workers of Colombia and us, the entrepreneurs, who are creating jobs, hostage. Our employees cannot come to work because the transit stations have been burnt down. We can neither enter nor leave the cities, we can not receive supplies, food, it has been 4 days that we can not buy anything! There has been no gasoline in Cali for 3 days, nobody can move, we cannot go to be vaccinated against the Covid. So people stay at home, and we suffer a lot because we are starting to run out of food. You have money, but it's no use to you, because there's nothing to buy, nothing goes in or out of Cali. So the situation is very serious and it is the worker, the entrepreneur,which finds itself sandwiched in there.

Testimonial: Carlos Velasquez, entrepreneur from Cali.

He had voted for President Duque in the 2018 election.

Véronique Gaymard

► To read also: Colombia: despite the violent repression and the withdrawal of the reform, the social movement continues

The streets do not take off in Colombia

The streets do not take off in Colombia

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