Colombia: Urgent call for a cease to violence against Indigenous Peoples in the context of the Natio
Colombia: Urgent call for a cease to violence against Indigenous Peoples in the context of the National Strike
9 May 2021, 21:03 UTC
Responding to reports of violent attacks against the Indigenous Minga collective in Cali, which left several members of the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) injured, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:
“The attacks by armed civilians, some in the presence of the police, against the Indigenous Minga in Cali are a reflection of the ceaseless dynamics of violence in Colombia that have been accentuated during the social protests related to the National Strike. Since 28 April, there have been reports of dozens of people killed, hundreds injured and disappeared, acts of sexual torture and scenes of horror amidst the repression of mostly peaceful demonstrations, without Iván Duque’s government even publicly recognizing these human rights violations.”
“Historically, Indigenous and Afro-descendant people have suffered disproportionately from the consequences of violence, the armed conflict and the lack of state protection. It’s unacceptable that the authorities have not immediately heeded the urgent calls on them to prevent armed violence; on the contrary, several authorities, including the National Police have issued stigmatizing statements about the Indigenous Minga and those peacefully demonstrating in Cali.”
More:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/05/colombia-llamado-urgente-cesar-violencia-contra-pueblos-indigenas/