PBI-Colombia at Portal Resistencia as European embassies and UN Mission visit the humanitarian space

On June 3, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project tweeted: “Thanks to the German Embassy, the Norwegian Embassy, the Swiss Embassy, the Swedish Embassy and the United Nations Mission in Colombia for accompanying the Portal Resistencia humanitarian space accompanied by the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace and Corporación Claretiana Norman Perez Bello, SweFOR.”

Portal Resistencia is the name given to the Portal de las Americas, a key site of resistance during the national strike. It is situated at a TransMilenio bus rapid transit station in southwestern Bogotá in the locality of Kennedy which is mostly inhabited by working and low-income residents.

PBI-Colombia has previously noted it is “where youth and grassroots organizations in the area have created a humanitarian space for participation in the social protests.”

On June 3, Contagio Radio also reported: “The Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission together with the organizers of the Itinerant Humanitarian Space ‘Al Calor de la Olla’ [To Heat the Pot] revealed that there is information on 1,425 cases of people injured by the actions of the Public Force [the military and national police].”

“Justice and Peace also stated that they received information on 20 cases of torture, of which 8 are documented; 12 cases of sexual violence, 3 of them documented; 16 documented reports of eye injuries, 2 of them with total losses; 68 illegal captures [arbitrary detentions], not reported to the competent authorities.”

That article further notes: “[The Justice and Peace Commission] also reported at least 8 threats and follow-ups and 2 homicides, which although not necessarily occurred within the facilities of the Americas Portal, have been attributed to the public force and have occurred around what is now known as Portal Resistencia.”

PBI-Colombia has accompanied the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission, which is accompanying the humanitarian space, since 1994.

On the same day as Justice and Peace released their report, their national coordinator Danilo Rueda participated in this PBI-Canada convened webinar.