![]() ![]() During five decades of armed conflict between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, most political forces pushed aside fundamental questions about the distribution of wealth, income and economic opportunity in deference to the scale of the insurgent and criminal threats facing the Colombian state. The protests reflect the “accumulation of decades of injustice”, in the words of one 28-year-old protester in Bogotá. Although protests have tailed off in recent weeks, the government should press ahead with talks with strike organisers, who have called for further demonstrations on 20 July embark on comprehensive police reform and intensify efforts to combat deep inequality. As of 7 June, the state ombudsman said it was aware of 58 deaths during the strike, including many apparently at the hands of police. Although President Iván Duque’s government has engaged in halting negotiations with strike leaders, it has also responded with a heavy hand. Roadblocks inside and between major cities have also exacted an economic toll. While the great majority of protests have been peaceful, vandalism and looting have damaged public transport, businesses and state buildings. Since an unpopular tax reform sent people into the streets on 28 April, tens of thousands of protesters across the country have joined a strike to vent frustration over rising inequality – laid bare by the devastating impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities – and police brutality. Colombia has been in the throes of its most serious public unrest in recent memory.
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