Statement regarding the terrible acts of violence committed against the Colombian people
TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
In response to the terrible acts of violence perpetrated against the Colombian people during the National Strike that began on April 28, as well as the serious human rights violations unleashed against the indigenous, Black/Afro-descendant population and their social and grassroots organizations, community leaders, women, youth, and others, the Association of Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Researchers (AINALC), the Association of Black Researchers of Brazil (ABPN), the Nelson Mandela Chair, and the CLACSO Working Group on Afro-descendants and counter-hegemonic proposalsThey express their strongest rejection of the state terrorism that is taking place in Colombia.
We condemn the disappearances, murders, and arbitrary detentions of people exercising their legitimate right to protest and demand guarantees for that right. We also join in expressing our deep concern and rejection of the attacks suffered by the Indigenous Minga in Cali on May 9. It is essential that those responsible for the acts of terror unleashed against the Colombian people be investigated and punished. We reject the militarization with which the government seeks to escalate the conflict, and we demand that dialogue, negotiation, and the search for democratic solutions that preserve peace and life be prioritized.
We declare ourselves on alert and reiterate the commitment of ABPN, AINALC, the Nelson Mandela Chair and the CLACSO Working Group on Afro-descendants and counter-hegemonic proposals with the defense and promotion of Human Rights and the fight against racism and inequality.
We stand in solidarity with the Colombian people, especially with the families who have lost loved ones and those who suffer most from social inequality. Finally, we express our full support for the National Strike and call upon educational, academic, and community institutions throughout the region and the world to join in the defense of democracy, the free exercise of peaceful protest and social mobilization, and the defense of their right to life, peace, and social justice in Colombia and throughout Latin America.
9 of may 2021
CLACSO Working Group
Afro-descendants and counter-hegemonic proposals
Association of Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Researchers – AINALC
Association of Black Researchers of Brazil – ABPN
Nelson Mandela Chair
This statement expresses the position of the Working Group Afro-descendants and counter-hegemonic proposals and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
