PBI-Colombia accompanied CCAJAR: “ESMAD must be dismantled.”

The text of the image says: ESMAD must be dismantled.

On March 2, the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective (CCAJAR) tweeted:

“The ESMAD must be gradually dismantled and work comprehensively on the factors that have led to serious human rights violations in the context of social protest.”

In December 2019, Justice for Colombia noted: “At least 34 people have been killed by Colombia’s Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) since it was created 20 years ago, according to new findings published by the Colombian NGO Temblores.”

By May 2021, Reuters, reporting on 40 deaths after two weeks of national strike protests, reported: “The police and its ESMAD riot squad are presumed responsible for 11 killings, the ombudsman has previously said.”

At this time, we also recall that during the national strike in Colombia in 2021, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) supported the popular call for the dismantling of the ESMAD riot squad.

The PBI-Colombia Project has accompanied CCAJAR since 1995.

Two weeks ago, PBI-Canada interviewed Oscar Ramirez of the PBI-Colombia accompanied Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) about dismantling the ESMAD. For that full interview, plus excerpts, in English, please click here.

PBI-Colombia also accompanies CREDHOS, Nomadesc and dhColombia, all of which have also called for the dismantling of the ESMAD.

For more, please also see: Where does the promise to dismantle the Colombian riot police ESMAD unit now stand? (January 4, 2023).