The National Unemployment Committee (CNP) which 19 days ago leads demonstrations throughout the Republic of Colombia began this afternoon its first meeting with the Executive in search of agreements to end the mobilizations, something that nonetheless is in line with ensuring social protest in new demonstrations, such as the one convened for next Wednesday.” We have agreed to go (to the meeting) to address a single point, the guarantees and prerequisites to stop the state and parastatal violence against those we have been protesting, so that once it is agreed and verified its implementation can start the different negotiations,” the CNP warned. It is worth remembering that during the protests the public force applied a fierce repression that has claimed the lives of at least 42 people, injured 578 (of which 37 suffered eye injuries) and arrested “arbitrarily” another 1,430.
In addition, 524 people have been reported missing and sexual violence committed against 21 women, according to complaints by human rights organizations. The United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union and human rights organizations, among others, denounced to the international community a disproportionate use of force by the Police.According to the CNP text, the negotiating processes must be advanced not only with their spokesmen, but also “with the social sectors mobilized, with regional and local processes unemployed , and with youth and the various citizens on the streets protesting,” as other sectors have also joined unemployment and the Committee does not intend to “assume the voice of all the citizens that are mobilized”. In this regard, it was emphasized that “the Government is confident that “the Government will understand complexity and commit in a serious and binding manner to stop violence and open the various negotiating processes”, while convening a new national mobilization by Wednesday.
“We call for a great mobilization for Next Wednesday, May 19th, peaceful, all on the street, with our flag and pan, with strict compliance with biosecurity standards,” the CNP announced in a statement issued just before the first meeting with the government began.Colombia in the last 18 days of national unemployment that began on April 28 in rejection of the establishment in Congress of a controversial tax reform driven government, which, under pressure from the mobilizations, had to withdraw it on Sunday, May 2.
