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The Colombian unions called this Tuesday two new demonstrations on September 16 and 21 to protest against police brutality after the death of Javier Ordóñez, who died after being reduced with excess force and the prolonged use of a taser electric pistol by two agents.
For the first demonstration, scheduled for September 16 starting at 7 pm, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) and other unions invited a national candle and cacerolazo in the country’s squares, parks and public spaces.
“We have decided to resume the mobilizations in the streets of Colombia, peaceful and democratic mobilization as has been the characteristic that we have always had. We announce the next mobilizations (for) tomorrow, September 16,” said the president of the CUT, Diógenes Orjuela, in a virtual press conference.
The workers’ centrals also called a national caravan for September 21 to reject any type of violence that affects social protest in Colombia.
“We continue to vindicate as fundamental points of this resumption of the mobilization and the streets of Colombia as the first measure of absolute rejection of the police brutality evidenced by the reaction of citizens to the murder of Mr. Javier Ordóñez,” Orjuela explained.
Ordóñez, a 46-year-old man died in a Bogotá clinic after being subjected by two police officers during his arrest early Wednesday in the capital.
His death sparked violent demonstrations in several cities of the country against police abuse, days in which at least 13 people lost their lives victims of gunshots.
“That police brutality is indisputably reflected in the fact that there were shots. There were 14 murders and there were more than 200 wounded. We therefore demand the restructuring of the National Police and the resignation of the Minister of Defense (Carlos Holmes Trujillo),” added Orjuela.
OTHER CAUSES
The organizers will also mobilize against Decree 1174, issued on August 27, with which the Government regulated the social protection floor, which for the workers’ centrals is the “most aggressive labor and pension reform in the last 30 years” in Colombia.
According to the unions, this rule opens up the possibility of hiring by the hour and ignores other rights of workers such as subsidies and affiliations to entities for recreation.
They will also mobilize against the murders of social leaders and former FARC guerrillas, as well as to demand compliance with the peace agreement signed with the former guerrilla in 2016.
“We reject violence of all kinds, we seek that the peace process is fulfilled to avoid this disorder in our country and the death of so many people. We have to be there so that there is no violence and for peace,” said the president of the Confederation of Workers of Colombia (CTC), Miguel Morantes.
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