At least 19 dead, 800 wounded as Colombia cracks down on tax reform protests. UN, EU call for calm at Colombia protests, warn of excessive force.

 

Protesters in Colombia agreed to stage a new mass rally on Monday after 19 people were killed and more than 800 wounded in clashes during five days of demonstrations against the proposed tax reform.

The office of colombia Human Rights in Colombia said 18 civilians and police officers died in violence during the nationwide protests that began on April 28, while 846 people were injured, including 306 civilians.  Authorities detained 431 people, and the government deployed the army in the cities that were affected. NGOs accused the police of shooting at the protesters.

In the face of unrest, President Ivan Duque's government on Sunday ordered the withdrawal of the tax reform proposal from Congress, where it was under discussion.  On Monday, Colombian Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla resigned, and Alberto said in a statement that his continued existence "will make it difficult to quickly and efficiently build the necessary consensus" to propose a new reform.  He was subsequently replaced by economist Jose Manuel Restrepo, former trade minister.

Duque criticized the sabotage of the protesters and despite the country facing a second wave of a deadly pandemic, dozens of people took to the streets again on Monday, with protests in the capital Bogota, the northwestern city of Medellin, Cali in the southwest and Barranquilla in the north.  It began last Wednesday, peacefully, before it turned into clashes between demonstrators and public forces.