Twenty-five individuals were pronounced dead following eight days of protests in Colombia due to a tax overhaul plan. It was meant to cover a gap in spending associated with COVID-19. Among the fatalities are protesters and police officials who have been clashing for days as public outrage grows over rising unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
25 Fatalities Recorded from Colombia Protests
After eight days of protests, a major city cut-off has transpired from food supplies and Colombia's conservative government scrambling to gain control as it combats the nation's worst novel coronavirus surge. Eight hundred people have been wounded in the clashes between officials and demonstrators. The unrest was throughout the country was ignited by a proposed tax-collection overhaul and rigid pandemic lockdowns that have been blamed for resulting in mass unemployment and throwing about four million people into poverty.
Why It Matters
The protests began as a strike against the proposed tax reform. It then developed into a broader outcry over human rights abuses and the authorities' heavy-handed response to demonstrations, reported Yahoo.
It was initially sparked by Colombian President Ivan Duque in April, attempting to pass a tax reform bill to mitigate Colombia's economic crisis. It was meant to raise taxes on some important public services and items.
Despite the tax plan being rescinded on Sunday, it has done nothing to subdue public protests. The demonstrations have turned violent at times, with buses being set on fire, police being attacked, and people looting stores.
According to Colombian President Ivan Duque regarding the violent protesters, "With their violence, they've tried to cut off cities, leaving thousands without work. Nothing justifies that armed people... go out and shoot at defenseless citizens and cruelly attack our police," reported The Hill.
Colombia is currently on its third coronavirus surge. It has recorded almost 500 fatalities per day on average in the previous week. This is a higher per-capita rate than India's.
According to Ivan Felipe Gonzalez, 35, whose shoe shop has been closed and has been joining the protests in Cali, a city of 2.2 million Colombia's third-largest, numerous people have lost jobs and have lost everything. He added the working class attempts to open their doors to get some business. However, the law comes in and imposes on them to close down, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The State of Play
The unpopular tax reform proposal would have raised taxes on businesses. It would have also eradicated several of the individual exemptions passed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Groups Calling for Peace
International groups and celebrities have started calling attention to the violence. Both the United Nations and Amnesty International have condemned the use of violence by Colombian authorities in mitigating the demonstrations.
Amnesty International released a video underscoring instances of excessive police force amid the protests. According to the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is "deeply alarmed" by reports of police gunnings and reminded Colombian authorities of their roles to "protect human rights."
