Foreign
PRESSURE is mounting on Colombian President Ivan Duque as of Wednesday as anti-government protesters prepare to stage massive marches for the second time in the space of one week.
The demonstrators are demanding the cancellation of economic reforms, the end of killings of community leaders by armed groups and the dismantling of the riot police Esmad, which killed young protester Dilan Cruz.
The 18-year-old high school student became a symbol of the protests after having been shot during clashes on Saturday and succumbing to his injuries on Monday.
The South American country has seen a week of protests after an estimated 250,000 people attended nationwide anti-government marches on Thursday.
Some of the rallies escalated into clashes with police, looting, and acts of vandalism.
Four people have been killed.
Violence erupted again on the eve of Wednesday’s marches, with masked demonstrators clashing with security forces in Bogota and in the south-western city of Neiva, where a police officer was reported to have been seriously injured.
Duque on Tuesday failed to make progress in talks with the National Strike Committee, which called the protests and includes trade unions and civil society organisations.
The president then announced changes to upcoming tax reform, including value-added tax relief for low earners and reduced health insurance payments for retired people on small pensions.
But the National Strike committee wants the government to scrap the entire reform.
Its 13 demands also include cancelling alleged plans for labour and pension reforms and agreeing not to privatise state companies.
NAN
– Nov. 27, 2019 @ 12:17 GMT |
Tags: Duque under pressure as Colombia braces for more nationwide protests
