We call upon the Colombian National Government to respect and guarantee the right to protest enshrined in the Political Constitution and the law!
A wave of social protests has swept across Latin America and the Caribbean since 2018 and throughout 2019, driven by widespread frustration with corruption, violations of fundamental human rights, extractive and environmental exploitation policies, economic reforms that worsen citizens' lives, and abuses of power. In Colombia, this year children and young people have also been victims of various dehumanizing tactics employed by illegal armed groups and the state itself (in the name of security and the fight against terrorism).
A constant in these manifestations of discontent, of contained rage, of disgust at the deception and induced panic, of deep pain motivated by the brutality of the so-called "forces of order", has been the massive peaceful participation of young people, as well as their leading role in unprecedented forms of collective and connective action that, undoubtedly, are generating an unprecedented insurrectionary movement.
Its main features are:
a. Without fear.
b. Without violence.
c. Without leadership or management.
d. Transcending political parties and classic polarizations.
e. In defense of social justice, rights and freedom.
f. For recognition and equality in diversity.
g. In a festive and creative tone.
h. In search of radical and lasting changes
The most recent outbreak of this movement that is shaking our societies to their core has been unfolding in Colombia since November 21st, when a massive national strike erupted against the government of Iván Duque Márquez. Among the reasons for the strike are: demands for compliance with the peace accords and the agreements made but not fulfilled with students; the bombing of children (recruited by a residual armed group) by the National Army during a military operation in Puerto Rico (Caquetá) on August 29th; the demand for the implementation of the anti-corruption referendum; the dismantling of the Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD); the protection of social leaders (159 murdered in 2019); the proposed tax reform (which benefits large corporations at the expense of higher taxes for the middle and lower classes); and the proposed labor reform (which legalizes the precarious wages of young people). and the pension reform project (which eliminates the average premium system and gradually increases the contribution rate).
The murder of student Dilan Mauricio Cruz a few days ago by a riot police officer (ESMAD), who used a stun grenade loaded with pellets to shoot him in the head, has sparked widespread social outrage and provided further impetus for many sectors, inspired by the persistence and creativity of young people, to rise up against political powers, landowners, and large financial conglomerates, and to build political cultures where a good, beautiful, and dignified life is the sole cause. Amidst various strategies employed by the establishment to delegitimize citizen protests, the National Government has combined the rhetoric of dialogue, centered around what it calls a “national conversation,” with repressive measures in the streets that violate fundamental human rights norms and amount to state terrorism.
Therefore, the CLACSO Working Group on Children and Youth calls upon the Colombian National Government to respect and guarantee the right to protest enshrined in the Political Constitution and the law. It calls upon the Government to respectfully acknowledge the capacity of citizens to be informed, critically analyze their reality, and act accordingly, given the evident regressive nature of the package of reforms currently being processed by the executive branch in the Congress of the Republic. Finally, it calls upon the Government to initiate a sincere and open dialogue with the communities, organizations, and collectives leading this mobilization, unprecedented in Colombia's recent history, and to establish precise agreements on each of the issues defined in the citizens' agenda that constitutes this massive and multifaceted national strike movement.
December 2019
CLACSO Working Group
Childhoods and youth
