Colombian teen dies after being shot in the head by police
COLOMBIA / DEMONSTRATIONS - 11/28/2019
A hospital in Bogota announced on November 25 the death of a young protester who had been shot in the head by police 48 hours prior. He was a victim of the police crackdown on the mass protest movement against the policies of Colombian President Iván Duque that has been shaking the country since November 21. Three other protesters have also been killed in clashes with police and 500 people have been injured.
Several videos show 18-year-old Dylan Cruz running in the moments before he was shot in the head on November 23. In the video below, you can hear a shot ring out at (‘02). Cruz then slumps to the sidewalk.
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Two other videos show officers from the Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron (or, in Spanish, Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios, or ESMAD), a special police unit, moving down the street. One of them fires. Ahead, Cruz lies limply on the sidewalk. In one ot those videos, posted on Facebook but later deleted, people are heard shouting: "They hit him! They wounded him! Calm! No violence!”, while other people dressed in red rush over to start giving Cruz first aid. In the second video, posted on Twitter, the scene can be seen from a nearby window.
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On November 23, the hospital declared that Cruz suffered from “craniocerebral trauma” caused by the penetration [of a sharp object.] The hospital didn’t give any more information about the injury, though they did say his life wasn’t in danger. But on the evening of November 25, the hospital finally announced that Cruz had died after spending 48 hours in intensive care.
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https://observers.france24.com/en/20191128-colombian-teen-dies-after-being-shot-head-police
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BY CHRISTOPHER BRITO
NOVEMBER 27, 2019 / 12:53 PM / CBS NEWS
Reggaeton superstar J Balvin posted a heartfelt tribute to a teenager who was killed during the anti-government protests in Colombia. The Grammy-nominated artist wrote about Dilan Cruz, and 18-year-old high school student who died after he was hit in the head by a projectile reportedly fired by Colombian authorities. Cruz has now become the face of the massive protests in the country.
J Balvin, who hails from Colombia, offered his condolences to Cruz' loved ones on Wednesday. He wrote in Spanish: "May Dylan Cruz rest in peace, peace needed by the people so these protests bring light and no darkness. It hurts to see that in his fight for his dreams, his life was taken away."
Inspired by similar movements throughout Latin America, the anti-government protests began peacefully last week as demonstrators were voicing their opposition to Colombian President Ivan Duque's conservative policies and pushing for better economic opportunities, including greater access to higher education. An estimated 250,000 people, including students like Cruz, teachers, union members and more, turned out to march Thursday, making it the largest protest in the history of Colombia, according to BBC News.
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"Dilan went to the front to kick back a tear-gas canister, because it had landed next to old people, that's when he was shot at, they say it was a rubber bullet," his friend said. According to the report, Cruz was set to graduate high school last Monday.
More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dilan-cruz-j-balvin-colombia-protests-projectile/
