Colombian president Duque announces “maximum deployment of military assistance” as national strike continues

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On the evening of Friday May 28, Colombian president Ivan Duque stated in a televised message: “From tonight begins the maximum deployment of military assistance to the national police in Cali and the province of Valle.”

Deutsche Welle reports: “Duque has ordered nearly 7,000 soldiers to support the local police forces and help clear and patrol blockaded roads in 10 departments across the country. Around 1,400 of these troops have been deployed to Cali, a city in the western province of Valle del Cauca, and the epicenter of the nationwide protests.”

Human rights concerns

In response, Human Rights Watch has commented that this deployment could increase “unrest and human rights violations” in the country.

Jose Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch says: “The solution to this problem is a political one, not a military or a police one. That means to initiate a credible process of dialogue with multiple forces who are demonstrating on the streets across the country to create a space to build some trust with the leaders of the opposition.”

Vivanco also warns: “[Duque’s measures] do not include any explicit reference to prioritizing dialogue, avoiding excessive force and respecting human rights.”

Canadian military exports to the Colombian military

Since 2014, Canada has exported more than $45 million of military goods to Colombia. This includes the sale of 24 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to the Colombian army. It is not known if these vehicles are part of the deployment of soldiers on city streets.

Webinar this Thursday

Peace Brigades International is convening a webinar this Thursday June 3 at 3:30 pm EDT with three Colombian human rights defenders to discuss this issue. To register for this webinar with simultaneous translation in English and Spanish, please click here.

Oscar Ramirez (Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners), Berenice Celeita (Association for Social Research and Action), Danilo Rueda (Justice and Peace Commission).