What’s happening in Colombia?
Written By Oshina Magar and P. Unnikrishnan
Introduction
April 28 2021, saw a series of violent protests over ten days that has caused a lot of Civil, Political and Legislative unrest. The demonstrations started in opposition to the tax reform proposed by the government. The original plan planned to raise $6.7 billion over nine years. The bill would have reduced the salary tax rate, impacting those earning more than 2.6 million pesos ($684; £493) a month. It is speculated that many of the existing exemptions for people would have been removed, and company taxes would have been increased. This would have further caused a divide between the rich and the poor. Unhappy with the decision making of the Duque led government, the citizens have organized and agitated in the form of protests and have completely halted the decision-making process of the government. Our sources have recently revealed that the Coalition is in discussions. If the unrest were to continue, the political scenario might worsen.
Mobilization
The country's major unions called for a general strike, which lasted a week and saw thousands of people demonstrating in various cities at all hours of the day and night. Workers were joined by members of the middle class, who thought the plan was directed at them. On April 28, 2021, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, with the statue of Spanish conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar being torn down by Misak protesters in Cali. Police presence increased on April 29 where 5,800 police would be deployed during the demonstrations.
Effects of the proposed Fiscal policy.
In Colombia, before and after taxation and transfers, inequality is almost the same.
The state's redistributive power is extremely limited, not just in the United States but throughout the world, not only in relation to the OECD but also in comparison to other Andean countries (CESR, 2017). The fiscal policy actually worsens poverty by cancelling the impact of transfers to low-income communities due to the high burden of indirect taxes such as VAT (Lustig, 2016). There are several instances where government spending is regressive. For example, the top 20% of earners receive 86 percent of government spending in the form of pensions (Nuez, 200).
The shift from the original cause
Over time the focus of the protest widened as the instability revealed the various administrative incompetencies of the government. It is no longer about tax reform that people are protesting. Protesters are now demanding that all residents be vaccinated, that a bill reforming the health system be withdrawn, and that the government provide at least minimum wage assistance. Benjamin Paba Al-Faro, a 53-year-old psychologist from Bogota, said he was protesting for better education and ensuring the continuation of the peace process with the now-demobilized FARC rebels, adding, "This isn't about overturning one law." The spirit of the people is the same as it was before, but the attention has widened, and the people want the government to support them with the bare minimum.
Police brutality
According to Colombian Civil Society Organizations, the deployment of the military, police forces, and the anti-riot squad (ESMAD) has caused 31 deaths, 216 people injured, and 814
arbitrary detentions. They also reported 142 victims of mistreatment, nine victims of sexual violence and 56 reports of people disappearing in the context of the demonstrations. In addition, there were reports of attacks against journalists, including acts of physical violence and the deletion of journalistic material. "There's no food and no fuel, just helicopters all the time," one resident of Cali told the Guardian. "Militarization is in process, gunshots and gas fill the streets."
This year's "Paro Nacional" repression effect is similar to that of demonstrations in 2019 when many protesters were killed after being shot with tear gas bombs and weapons loaded with live and potentially lethal bullets. And other protests in late 2020, when the National Police announced that 403 people were wounded.
Threat to journalism
Demonstrators are often portrayed in the media as vandals, guerrillas, communists, or pro-Venezuelans. Hate speech and fake news are spread via social media. Their abuse is largely symbolic, which legitimizes physical attacks and gives offenders a sense of immunity
The national media and government both direct and restrict information and opinion. The Prosecutor's Office's recent indictments of journalists who criticize censorship are a further restriction on freedom of speech and the right to information. These procedures coexist with the regular risks and dangers. Journalists have been reporting on structural violence, especially in small towns and remote areas. In the world ranking of press freedom in 180 countries carried out by Reporters Without Borders, Colombia ranks 130th.
Violence towards governmental organizations
During the night, 25 rapid response police commando posts, known as CAI for the initials in Spanish, were targeted, according to City Officials in Bogotá. CAIs are small police stations scattered around neighbourhoods and mainly consist of just a room or two. 30 people and 16 police officers were wounded due to the violence in Bogotá. By 5th May, 45 stations were out of service due to damage. Moreover, a crowd tried to "burn alive" a group of 10 police officers by setting fire to a station. Other towns, including Cali, where the clashes have been the most intense, have also reported incidents. According to police officials, police officers were targeted in several instances while attempting to deter groups with alleged criminal intent from robbing shops and torching buses.
Government response
Recent sources have indicated that as of 8th May 2021, President Ivan Duque met with political opponents and expressed more optimism than they did about progress made toward calming more than a week of widespread and sometimes deadly street protests.
"We had a productive meeting with the coalition of hope, a great opportunity for dialogue, overcoming differences and without political point-scoring," Duque said on Twitter, referring to the group of politicians. The opposition claims to have urged Duque to meet with civil society protest organizers. Peaceful marches took place in Bogota and Medellin. At the same time, roadblocks across the country slowed food deliveries, causing some prices to rise. Impeding supplies of food and other items, such as oxygen, is never justified, Duque said.
In response to the Protests, however, Duque has taken action by putting the tax laws on hold and being active on the media front to make statements on the same. The government is also set to meet on Monday with the national strike committee to discuss terms.
Political Commentary
The government must curb police violence, Green Party congresswoman Katherine Miranda said. "The government is two-faced. By day it offers dialogue and conciliation, but by night it shows the only repression."
"The moment the government decided to withdraw (the tax reform), popular victory should have been declared," Gustavo Petro, a leftist senator and likely 2022 presidential hopeful, told Blu Radio on Friday. "At the moment, there are no clear objectives," he said. Poverty and unemployment rose during coronavirus lockdowns, deepening entrenched social inequalities. According to government statistics, nearly half of Colombia's 50 million inhabitants were living in poverty at the end of 2020.
Talks offer a way forward, said Edward Rodriguez, a congressman from Duque's Democratic Center party. "The success of the dialogue depends on listening to everyone," Rodriguez said. "And that it leads to public policies."
Voters are likely to carry discontent to the ballot box in 2022, the Green Party's Miranda added, predicting: "There will be a change in the country's model (of government)."
References
Díaz Sr., Fabio Andrés. “Right-Wing Populism and the Mainstreaming of Protests:The Case of Colombia.” Revista Española De Sociología, 16 Dec. 2020, repub.eur.nl/pub/133189/.
Duque, Iván. REPRESSION AGAINST PEOPLE PROTESTING. 5 May 2021.
“Amnesty Denounces Police Repression of Demonstrations in Colombia.” Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/05/colombia-amnistia-denuncia-respuesta-militarizada-represion-policial/.
“Colombia Protests: What Is behind Unrest?” BBC News, BBC, 5 May 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-56986821.
Hu, Caitlin. “Colombia's Protests, Explained.” CNN, Cable News Network, 7 May 2021, edition.cnn.com/2021/05/06/americas/colombia-protests-explainer-intl-latam/index.html.
“'No Food and No Fuel': Colombia Torn by Protests and Violent Crackdown.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 6 May 2021, www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/may/05/colombia-protests-unrest-protesters-police.
Griffin, Oliver. “Colombians March in Eighth Day of Protests, Police Deploy Tear Gas.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 5 May 2021, www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-unions-hold-mass-marches-violence-worse-overnight-bogota-2021-05-05/.
Herrero, Ana Vanessa. “Protests Have Spread across Colombia. Here's Why.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 May 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/05/07/colombia-protests-duque-faq/.
Acosta, Luis. “Colombia's Duque More Optimistic than Critics after Meeting to Calm Protests.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 7 May 2021, www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-duque-meeting-with-opponents-hoping-calm-deadly-protests-2021-05-07/.