translated from Spanish: Duke announces creation of a dialogue table after seven days of protests

Colombia’s President Iván Duque announced on Tuesday the creation of a national dialogue table that will include the country’s sectors and actors with the aim of reaching solutions to the citizen discontent expressed in the national unemployment that has filled the country with protests over the past seven days in rejection of tax reform.” We will set up a space to listen to citizens and build solutions. They must not mediate ideological differences, but deep patriotism. It is vital to have all the institutions, parties, the private sector, governors, mayors, and civil society leaders,” said the representative, reports the Colombian medium ‘El Espectador’. The President has also stressed that the objective of the dialogue space “is to reject violence in all its forms, to accelerate the National Mass Vaccination Plan, to secure resources to ensure the continuity of social programmes and the protection of the most vulnerable and, of course, economic revival.” The talks will begin on Wednesday, April 5, according to Duque, who has assured that on that day he will meet with “the institutionality” of Colombia, with presence “of the Courts, the control authorities, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the presidents of the Senate and the House, and also representatives of civil society, the governors, mayors, associations, the private sector and those on the Joint Action Boards , among others.” Likely, the Colombian president reiterated that with the appointment he hopes to start with the “clear defense of the values that we must always have as Colombians and in this process, which is always open to listening, act quickly for the benefit of all”, radio caracol.Duque has also said that “if we come to present an action outside the Constitution that affects the rights of people” , will not accept it “in any way.” As appropriate in the rule of law, we will promote all internal investigations and control bodies. But we must be clear: those who work for the safety of Colombians, all the support and at the same time all the demand,” he added, in reference to the security forces’ response to the protests of recent days. In this regard, the Colombian medium ‘El Tiempo’ has published that the Government is already making progress in dialogue by having held some meetings with unemployment-related sectors.

Original source in Spanish