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(CNN) – Seven people died in the violent riots that occurred during the night of this Wednesday in Bogotá. The deaths occurred during protests over the death of Javier Ordóñez. The director general of the National Police, General Gustavo Alberto Moreno Maldonado, reported this Thursday at a press conference that there were 7 civilians killed (5 in Bogotá and 2 in Soacha), 93 injured police officers and 55 injured civilians admitted to hospitals for injuries with blunt objects.
Javier Ordóñez died in a clinic after a suspected episode of police brutality.
The Ministry of Defense reported this morning that it will reinforce the Bogotá Police with 1,600 agents, 850 of whom will arrive from other regions of the country.
In addition, 300 soldiers from the Colombian Army will support security tasks in the Colombian capital. In public appearance, Holmes offered a reward of up to US $ 13,400 for information leading to the capture of those involved in the deaths of the five people.
#Attention
From this moment on, the @PoliceBogota with 750 uniformed personnel, more than 850 arriving from other regions of the country. Likewise, 300 soldiers from the # Brigade13 @COL_EJERCITO they will support security efforts in the country’s capital.
DC @Bogota @infopresidency pic.twitter.com/kkFj8ZJ60q– Mindefensa (@mindefensa) September 10, 2020
The demonstrations
During the night of this Wednesday and early hours of the morning of this Thursday, demonstrations and cacerolazos against the police were held in Bogotá. The protests over the death of Javier Ordoñez ended with serious disturbances and clashes between several protesters and agents.
After Ordóñez’s death, two Bogota police officers were separated from their charges after a video was released showing two policemen beating Ordoñez, 44.
According to the National Police of Colombia, 39 Police Commands for Immediate Action (CAI) were attacked (27 vandalized and 12 set on fire).
In addition, 21 police officers suffered serious injuries and 5 motorcycles and police vehicles were destroyed.
The riots affected several areas of Bogotá, especially the neighborhoods of Bosa, Suba, Kennedy and Engativá. The protesters took to the streets and cut traffic on the southern highway of the Colombian capital.
(Photo by JUAN BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)
Colombian President Iván Duque said Wednesday that in Colombia there will be no tolerance for human rights abuses by the police.
For his part, the Minister of Defense, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, reported the initiation of a criminal process against agents suspected of excessive use of force. The minister condemned what happened and expressed his solidarity with the relatives of the dead man, whom he identified as Javier Humberto Ordóñez Bermúdez.
The video of the attack on Ordoñez
The video of the attack was broadcast on social networks on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. In the images, two policemen are observed subjecting the man to the ground with electric shocks from an electro-shock gun on several occasions. You can hear how the man says “please” several times.
Several passersby who record the video ask the agents to stop assaulting him. Officers are also heard several times asking the man on the ground to put his “hands back”.
The circumstances prior to this operation are not clear. CNN asked police for details, which forwarded to official statements. Nor has it released the names of the two agents under investigation.
The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation opened an investigation into the alleged irregularity in the police procedure, as confirmed on Twitter by the attorney general Francisco Barbosa Delgado.
Mayor of Bogotá offers condolences for deaths
The mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López, expressed her condolences to relatives and friends of the people who died or were injured in the clashes on Thursday.
“Destroying Bogotá will not fix the Police. Destroying us won’t fix anything. Let’s focus on achieving justice and structural reform for the security forces, ”he wrote on his Twitter account.
On the other hand, the National Police of Colombia reported that in addition to the five deaths, there are several injuries and damages. In total there are 30 police officers injured, 50 civilians injured admitted to hospitals for blunt force injuries, 53 police facilities affected, 77 vehicles affected. 25 Transmilenio buses were vandalized, 9 of them set on fire.
With information from Florencia Trucco
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