Colombia police brutality protests: Police responsible for deaths of 11 protesters – Al Jazeera

A UN-backed report has found that Colombian police were responsible for 11 deaths at protests in Bogota last September. The violence took place at two rallies to demonstrate against police brutality and the 182-page report called the killings a “massacre”. All but one of the officers involved is still on the job. Police violence has

Court finds Colombia responsible for rape, torture of journalist

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Monday ruled that the state of Colombia bears responsibility for the ordeal of a female journalist who was kidnapped, raped and then tortured in 2000 by paramilitaries. Jineth Bedoya was working for the El Espectador newspaper at the time, investigating a weapons smuggling ring, when she was abducted

As Colombian protests dissipate, activists hit by wave of arrests

Colombia’s Primera Linea protesters accuse authorities of using arrests, prosecutions to weaken the push for change. Alejandro Gaitan awoke to the sounds of strange voices and heavy boots outside his home in the Colombian city of Armenia, about 280km (173 miles) west of the capital Bogota. Moments later, five police officers burst through the front

Colombia intensifies crackdown of dissent ahead of protests

Colombia’s increasingly tyrannical government stepped up the intimidation of opponents on baseless claims that guerrillas would seek violence during anti-government protests on Tuesday. The conspiracy theories coincided with the arrest of alleged protesters and the harassment of social organizations that were trying to organize a meeting in Cali over the weekend. Defense Minister Diego Molano said on

‘Egregious’ police abuse against Colombian protesters: Report

Demonstrations have been held in Colombia’s capital after protest leaders called on people to “Take Over Bogota”. What started as anger over proposed tax reform has turned into weeks of unrest against inequality. And a new report by Human Rights Watch is criticising the police response, after at least 20 protesters were killed. Al Jazeera’s

Colombia protests: UN calls for investigation into Cali deaths

The UN’s human rights chief has called on Colombia to launch an independent inquiry into the deaths of anti-government protesters in the south-western city of Cali. The city has been the epicentre of protests against President Ivan Duque and 14 people are reported to have died in recent days. Michelle Bachelet said those responsible should

Indigenous Colombians topple conquistador statue in capital

Indigenous people in Colombia on Friday knocked down a statue of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, who founded the capital Bogota, as protests against the government continued. Photos shared on social media showed members of the Misak indigenous community standing on the empty pedestal in the center of Bogota with the statue lying on