Declaration for the restructuring of the Colombian Armed Forces, the halting of their crimes, and respect for the human rights of citizens
In the early morning hours of September 9th of this year, in violation of COVID-19 social distancing measures, a group of people, including lawyer Javier Ordoñez, were approached by police officers in a neighborhood of Bogotá. The officers, in what has become a common practice of excessive force, not only physically subdued the man but also repeatedly shocked him with a TASER stun gun. Despite the victim's pleas for them to stop because he felt like he was suffocating, the police ignored him. They also detained a friend of the victim who was recording the incident, and both were taken to a police station. Minutes later, another friend of the detainees arrived and pressured the authorities to have Javier transferred to a nearby hospital, but doctors soon announced that the victim had died from his injuries.
The Caracol news program, in its midday broadcast, explicitly stated that it was a police murder and demanded answers from high-ranking officers and the government. The responses were limited to expressing condolences to the victim's family, the immediate dismissal of the officers involved, and the already known investigation to "clarify the facts."
Public outrage erupted due to the mounting tension caused by numerous crimes and injustices committed in the name of order and security "for all," as well as the impunity surrounding these events. This led to dozens of protests erupting in various parts of the capital and other Colombian cities. From the evening of September 9th, videos, images, and accounts emerged depicting a night in which social protest was transformed into a night of terror by police provocation, fueled by the repression of the notorious Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD).
The Minister of Defense disregarded the murdered victims and, in a defiant tone, expressed solidarity with the police officers who had confronted the protests. At this point, it is worth recalling what a senator from one of the establishment parties has said: “The neo-language of the Uribe/Duque government: Massacres are ‘collective homicides.’ Displaced people are ‘internal migrants.’ Murder by police brutality is a ‘procedural error.’ Violence ‘is caused by the peace agreement.’ Anyone who protests is a ‘communist’” (Senator @Roy Barreras).[1].
The disrepute of the armed forces (army and police) has been on the rise in recent years, as acknowledged by El Espectador.[2] Upon releasing the public opinion survey conducted by the international firm Gallup-Poll, it was revealed that even with this data, unfavorable public opinion (regarding these two repressive state entities) is close to 44%. In the case of the police, their actions are becoming increasingly unfavorable in urban areas with low-income classes, as it is there that various demonstrations and acts of excessive force frequently occur, which, as in the case of Javier Ordoñez and the dark events of the night of September 9, end up costing human lives.
El CLACSO Working Group on Latin American Critical Geographical ThoughtThis joins the voices of human rights organizations and the general public, who DEMAND not only swift action in clarifying the criminal actions of the Colombian armed forces – army and police – but also their restructuring, in compliance with the norms of respect for life and the human rights of citizens.
14th September 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 Working Group PLatin 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.
