Cali Becomes Center of Unrest in Ongoing Colombia Mass Protests

Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, emerged as the epicenter of the deadly demonstrations as mass protests in the country continued.

The city became the focal point of anti-government demonstrations that involves a surge in violence between police officers, protesters, and armed civilians, Al Jazeera reported.

More than a week has passed since the demonstrations erupted in Colombia against the controversial tax reform proposed by President Ivan Duque.

To stop the mass protests, the president announced that the tax reform would be shelved. BBC reported that the Colombian government agreed to meet with the protest leaders. However, the outlet noted that the demand of the people on the street has also widened.

Colombia's Mass Protests

As Colombia's mass protests continue, blockades were placed on the major highways of Cali. Because of this, the arrival of food and fuel supply to the city is disturbed.

With their aim to end the blockades in the city, armed civilians attacked the demonstrators, leaving more than a dozen injured after the incident. Those wounded were mostly indigenous people who went to the city to join the protests.

President Ivan Duque visited Cali early Monday and announced that security reinforcement would be sent to the city to remove the blockades. Duque also "called for" the indigenous people to return to their territories.

Gimena Sanchez, Andes director for the think-tank Washington Office on Latin America, questioned Duque's trip to Cali on Monday.

Sanchez noted that Ivan Duque's response and his party's pressure to stop the protests "using all force necessary" will lengthen the people's anger.

Police Violence

Apart from violent encounters between armed civilians and protesters, police violence is also rising in the city. Al Jazeera reported that in the previous week, protesters in Cali were in the middle of protests when law enforcement officers opened fire on them, resulting in several deaths.

Because of this, the Colombian National Police that reports directly to the country's Ministry of Defense was under fire for using excessive force on protesters.

The death toll from Colombia's mass protest is still unclear. Human Rights Watch reported at least 38 deaths. Local NGOs in the country placed the death toll at 47. Meanwhile, the human rights ombudsman said at least 26 people had died, mostly due to police violence.

Among the dead reported was a 17-year-old boy allegedly fatally shot by a police officer in Cali, according to ABC News. The incident reportedly stemmed out when the victim kicked a police officer sitting in a motorbike. An agency is now investigating the case.

Despite the number of fatalities, Al Jazeera noted that another national strike would take place on Wednesday. The said strike will mark the third week of Colombia's mass protest.

Elizabeth Dickinson from the International Crisis Group noted that the Colombian government continues to treat the situation like a law enforcement problem instead of a political crisis.

BBC noted that although the protest was prompted because of the proposed tax reform, the demonstrations are still a continuation of the protests that began in 2019.

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