Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - Yesterday for the third time, the representatives of the Colombian government met with those of the National Strike Committee (CNP), to begin negotiations (see Fides, 18/5/2021). "We want guarantees for social protest, an end to the excessive use of force and for the army to leave our streets", Diogenes Orjuela, general secretary of the Strike Committee told the international press before the meeting. Although there are no conclusions accepted by the parties, there is a will for dialogue, said Mgr.Héctor Fabio Henao Gaviria, head of the Secretariat for Social Pastoral Care of the Colombian Episcopal Conference (CEC), who was present together with other invited witnesses, such as Carlos Ruiz Massieu, representative in Colombia of the UN Secretary General. On the part of the government there was Miguel Ceballos, representative of the High Commissioner for Peace. Regarding the guarantees on the protests, the leaders of the demonstrators ask the Executive to allow a visit to Colombia by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights", so that throughout the country, this Commission can verify the serious human rights violations by some members of the public force", said Francisco Maltés, president of the central workers' office. Colombia has been experiencing strong social tension for three weeks, due to the continuous popular demonstrations that also call for the resignation of the Minister of Defense for the mismanagement of the social situation and the health emergency related to Covid-19.
Unfortunately, the third peak of the pandemic, which began immediately after Easter, continues to cause deaths. The health authorities confirmed that yesterday, Thursday 20, there were 490 deaths and 16,086 infected. In total, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, 3,177,212 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Colombia and 83,233 deaths. Precisely, because of this situation, after the announcement of the reopening of the borders by the Colombian government, Ecuador has announced that it will not open the border with Colombia. The tension grows even more after the negative response from the American Confederation of the American Football Confederation to Colombia's request to postpone the date of the America's Cup, which should take place in Colombia next June. Therefore, the country runs the risk of losing the opportunity to host the most important football event on the continent, already postponed in 2020. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 21/5/2021)
