Black communities and social organisations denounce police repression in Colombia

1 May 2021

The Process for Black Communities (PCN) issued a statement on International Labour Day calling on police and state forces in Colombia to respect to the right of all peoples and citizens to associate and demonstrate peacefully. PCN and other social organisations in Colombia report that public demonstrations since the last week of April have been met by violent state suppression by policy anti-riot squads known as Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios (ESMAD) – leaving protesters in Cali and other cities dead and many people injured. The use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters is roundly condemned by the PCN as constituting the illegitimate use of force.

PCN  reaffirms the rights of citizens and communities to exercise their legitimate rights to demonstrate against unjust public policies and harmful legislative proposals, including the current controversial tax reform “sustainable solidarity law”. This draft law has been the subject of mass protests in recent weeks and has been rejected for threatening to undermine the peace agreements, impoverish low-income groups and generate social conflict.

In response to mass demonstrations and public outcry at the disproportionate use of police force to quell protests, on 2 May the President of Colombia called on Congress to withdraw the tax bill.  On the International Day of Freedom of Expression on May 3rd, PCN and Colombian social justice movements continued to press the government to ensure harmful tax reforms are taken off the table and peoples’ and citizen’s right to freedom of association and the right to protest are fully upheld.

See PCN statement here (only available in Spanish)