"IT WAS THE POLICE," Colombia's cry for those killed in protests

By P360P Editor

On April 28, thousands of people took to the streets in dozens of Colombian cities to protest against a tax reform bill. The government withdrew the proposal a few days later, but the demonstrations continued for underlying reasons such as economic inequality, police violence, unemployment and lack of public services. Because of these demonstrations dozens of Colombians did not return home, they were killed, "IT WAS THE POLICE".

Police have repeatedly dispersed peaceful demonstrations arbitrarily and with excessive and often brutal use of force, including the use of lethal ammunition.

Human Rights Watch ?HRW? has documented numerous direct police killings, as well as violent beatings, sexual abuse and arbitrary arrests of protesters and bystanders.

This is the story of 6 young people who were killed for raising their voices in the face of injustice.

The loved ones of Kevin, Santiago, Nicolas, Nicolas, Yinson, Edwin, and Marcelo have a hole in their souls, a piece of their lives was taken from them. Their voices today cry out and cry out for justice for those who will not return.

Kevin Antoni Agudelo

It was May 3, 10:15 p.m. when Kevin Agudelo, a 22-year-old warehouseman, was shot. He was in Cali, department of Valle del Cauca. 

Agudelo had been participating in a "velatón," a candlelight vigil, for people injured in previous protests, two witnesses told Human Rights Watch. 

Protesters were peacefully blocking traffic at a roundabout when ESMAD officers began firing stun guns and tear gas, according to three witnesses. Several protesters responded by throwing rocks. 

One said he heard shots that sounded like lethal ammunition. He noted that Agudelo, who had been hiding behind a pole, ran towards the witness along with another protester. The witness saw a policeman shoot Agudelo from close range. The other protester was also wounded, the witness said. 

According to HRW, which had access to three videos that appear to match the witness' account of Agudelo lying next to the other injured protester, it also had access to a photograph of Kevin's body.

The photograph shows wounds to the chest and arms that forensic experts from the Independent Forensic Experts Group (IFEG) said were consistent with wounds caused by lethal munitions fire. 

A judicial authority with knowledge of the case stated that preliminary evidence indicates that the police were allegedly responsible for the shooting.

Santiago Andrés Murillo

Santiago Andrés Murillo, a 19-year-old student from Ibagué, Tolima department, was shot at about 10 p.m. on May 1 while walking home from his girlfriend's house, according to his girlfriend and Murillo's mother. 

In one video, several protesters are shown assisting Murillo as he lies on the ground. HRW also obtained photographs of the body, with wounds to the left armpit and chest that IFEG forensic experts say are consistent with having been caused by lethal ammunition. 

Military justice officials arrested two police officers on murder charges in this case on May 6 and released them on June 2. A prosecutor asked the Constitutional Court on May 11 to rule that the investigation should be conducted solely by the Prosecutor's Office, not the military justice system. The court has yet to issue a verdict.

Nicolas Guerrero

Nicolás Guerrero, a 26-year-old graffiti artist, died from a gunshot wound to the left side of his head at approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 3 in Cali, Valle del Cauca.

The organization said Guerrero had been assisting injured protesters during a protest in the Calima neighborhood, a witness said, and joined the front row of demonstrators minutes before he was shot.  

Some of the protesters had been throwing rocks at the police. The witness heard a single shot fired as he was walking away and, turning around, saw that Guerrero was wounded. 

He said that the shot was fired by the police, as they were the only ones in front of the front row of demonstrators. He also said that he had already seen police officers open fire on them that night. 

The photograph of Guerrero's body shows the head wound. A judicial authority with knowledge of the case indicated that preliminary evidence suggests that the shot was fired by a police officer.

Yinson Andrés Angulo Rodríguez

At approximately 16:40 on May 1 in Cali, Yinson Andrés Angulo Rodríguez, was killed, died from a gunshot wound.

The 23-year-old electrician had been walking with a friend, watching the demonstrations, and then stopped at a park in the Calimio neighborhood, his friend told HRW. 

There were protesters throwing stones, and the police responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Two stun grenades hit protesters on the front line, the friend said, and as everyone ran he heard several shots. He turned around to look for Angulo but couldn't see him. He approached a group of people who were shouting "get him out, they shot him. It was Angulo's limp body. 

HRW detailed that a judicial authority with knowledge of the case said that Angulo died from the impact of a lethal ammunition and that preliminary evidence indicates that the bullet belonged to the police.

Edwin Villa Escobar

Edwin Villa Escobar, a 38-year-old gas technician, died in Cali on April 30. 

Villa was preparing a "sancocho" for other demonstrators during a protest in the Diamante neighborhood when, at about 4:30 p.m., police tried to disperse the demonstration, according to a relative of the victim. 

Some protesters threw stones at police and officers began firing lethal ammunition, according to videos corroborated by HRW. Villa was injured. A protester took him to a local hospital, where doctors referred him to a clinic for emergency surgery. 

Edwin died a few hours later. Doctors told the family that he had received a gunshot wound to the left ear. A judicial authority with knowledge of the case told the organization that the evidence points to the police.

Marcelo Agredo Inchima

He was only 17 years old. Marcelo Agredo Inchima was a student. He died while participating in a demonstration in Cali on 28 April. 

Around 3:30 p.m., police dispersed a demonstration in an area of the city known as Puerto Rellena, said a relative of Agredo's who was with him at the protest. 

Agredo and other protesters began running, one witness said, toward Mariano Ramos, a nearby neighborhood. There, Agredo kicked a police officer in the back, according to video footage corroborated by HRW. The officer turned and shot Marcelo as he ran away. 

The relative said he heard several shots and people shouting "they killed him, they killed one of them! 

When he approached, he found the young man Marcelo with a head wound. Judicial authorities with knowledge of the case indicated that he had been shot with a firearm. On 12 May, the Public Prosecutor's Office arrested and charged the officer with aggravated homicide in connection with the case.

These stories, all collected by HRW, tell of the hundreds of deaths that have occurred in the demonstrations, many of them due to police abuse.

The stories continue to appear and continue to be written in different neighborhoods of Colombia. The voices of thousands continue to cry out "IT WAS THE POLICE".

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