PBI-Colombia accompanies Berenice Celeita at women’s march against the murder of young people during the national strike

On May 8, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project tweeted: “PBI accompanies Berenice from @Nomadesc to the great mobilization of mothers and women of Cali and Valle del Cauca that is happening right now.”

Berenice Celeita is the president of the Association for Social Research and Action (NOMADESC). She has been accompanied by PBI since 1999. In 2004, Celeita was targeted by state agents in an assassination plot known as Operation Dragon because of her opposition to the privatization of Emcali, a state-owned utility that provides water, telecommunications, and electricity services in Cali.

The Colombian digital media platform Kienyke reports: “The national strike continues and this time the call is made by the mothers of Cali who will take to the streets in rejection of the murders of young people in the midst of social protest.”

“There are four meeting points and one concentration point. The starting points of the marches are Siloé, Meléndez, Calipso and the so-called Paso del Aguante. All the demonstrations led by mothers will have as a meeting point the sector called Puerto Resistencia.”

“Since the national strike began on April 28, Cali has been one of the cities with the most massive demonstrations.”

Indepaz has documented that 31 people have been killed between April 28 and May 4 during the national strike. 24 of those were killed in Cali.

ABC News has reported: “Among the dead is 17-year-old Marcelo Agredo who was allegedly fatally shot by a police officer on April 28 in Cali, Colombia. Video from the incident shows Agredo appearing to kick a police officer sitting on a motorbike before the officer opens fire. A government agency is now investigating his death.”

BBC has also reported: “Local media named on of those who died in the city’s protests as Nicolás Guerrero, a 27-year-old artist. The mayor of Cali, Jorge Iván Ospina, said Guerrero had died of a gunshot wound to the head.” The Mayor said: “I condemn this and I ask of all police to not even think about using guns in these protests.”

And the Associated Press has reported: “The United Nations human rights office said it was ‘deeply alarmed’ over violence against protesters in Cali, where ‘police opened fire on demonstrators’ and allegedly killed and injured several people [on May 3].”

PBI-Canada echoes the statement by PBI-Colombia that: “Social and peaceful protest is a human right, above all, disproportionate repressions cannot be justified against the civilian population, we ask for guarantees and respect for life.”

Berenice on a PBI organized visit to Toronto in June 2015.