Declaration to restructure the Armed Forces of Colombia, stop these crimes and respect the human rights of citizens
In the early morning of September 9 of this year, in a situation of non-compliance with social isolation measures due to COVID-19, a group of people including lawyer JAVIER ORDOÑEZ was approached by police in a sector in the city of Bogotá, the agents, in a very frequent attitude of excessive force, Not only do they physically subjugate or subjugate the city, but they also repeatedly attack them with a TASER electric shock gun. Despite the victim's appeal to stop his appeal because he felt suffocated, the police did not respond to him. In the same way, we will also submit a friend of the victim who was registering the actions and the two files of the victims to a Centro de Atenção Imediata (CAI) of the police. Minutes after another person arrived, a friend had two children, who pressed for JAVIER to be transferred to a nearby hospital, but immediately the doctors announced that the victim had died as a result of two injuries.
The Caracol newscast, in its mid-day broadcast, expressly indicated that it was a police ASSASSINATO and that a response from the high command and the government was necessary. Your responses are limited to expressing condolences to the victim's family, to the immediate confinement of the services of two agents involved and to a thorough investigation to “clarify two facts.”
The indignation of the city was generated by the tension accumulated in the face of so many crimes and injustices committed in the name of order and security "for all", in addition to all the acts that went unpunished, or that led to dozens of protests that broke out in different sectors of Bogotá and in other cities of Colombia. Since the same day, September 9, videos, images and stories of a night in which the social protest has transformed into a night of terror fueled by police provocation, which is linked to repression by the dark Anti-Moity Squad (ESMAD), have been released.
The Defense Minister ignored the murdered victims and defiantly expressed his solidarity with the police who faced the protests. At this moment, it is worth mentioning that a senator from a two party of the same establishment expresses "A neolinguagem do governo Uribe / Duque: The massacres are "collective homicides". The dislocated are "internal migrants". Assassination due to police brutality is a "procedural error". The violence "is caused by peace agreements". Quem protest He is a “communist” (Senator @Roy Barreras)[1].
The loss of prestige of the armed forces (army and police) is expected to increase in recent years, as El Espectador acknowledged. [2] to publish the public opinion inquiry that I am going to apply to the international company Gallup-poll. Even with these data, unfavorable public opinion (against these two repressive State entities) is close to 44%. In the case of the police, their action becomes increasingly unfavorable in the urban sectors of the popular classes, because several manifestations and acts of excessive force are frequently committed, as in the case of JAVIER ORDOÑEZ and two somber events on the night of September 9, they end up throwing away lives human.
O CLACSO Working Group Latin American critical geographical thought joins the voices of defense organizations of human rights and citizens in general, who demand not only speed or clarification of the criminal actions of the Colombian Armed Forces – army and police – but before their restructure, in accordance with the norms of respect for life and hair human rights two cities.
September 14th, 2020
CLACSO Working Group
Latin American critical geographical thought
[1] https://twitter.com/roybarreras?lang=es (September 10, 2020). The same senator retweeted this message from the mayor of Bogotá: “Roy Barreras retweeted @ClaudiaLopez · 20h The case of Javier Ordóñez is not isolated. This year @Bogotá has received and forwarded to the Police 137 complaints of police abuse. However, as of July, the Police reported having only taken cognizance of 38. If they don't even initiate investigations, how are they going to prevent and punish it?”
[2] https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/politica/cae-en-picada-la-opinion-favorable-de-las-fuerzas-militares-segun-gallup-poll/ (accessed 10/9/2020)
This statement expresses the position of the Working Group Latin American Critical Geographical Thought and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
