{"id":19864,"date":"2023-11-29T19:05:47","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T00:05:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elturbion.com\/?p=19864"},"modified":"2023-11-29T19:05:47","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T00:05:47","slug":"what-about-the-police-reform-in-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elturbion.com\/?p=19864","title":{"rendered":"What about the police reform in Colombia?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before the social outbreak in April 2021, the public was aware of the murders of Nicol\u00e1s Neira<\/a>, Johnny Silva<\/a> and Belisario Camayo Guetoto<\/a> in 2005, \u00d3scar Leonardo Salas en 2006<\/a>, and Dilan Cruz <\/a>on November 23, 2019. The Council of State issued even 10 judgments against the Nation between 1993 and 2017, holding the police responsible for murder and serious personal injuries during protests. These state crimes underscore the urgency of a police reform that prevents this state institution from addressing social demands and issues and ensures transparency and accountability of its agents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Yuri<\/a>
Yuri Neira, father of Nicol\u00e1s Neira, March 2016, Photo: Andr\u00e9s G\u00f3mez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A benefit of a reform oriented towards human security<\/a> would be the reduction of spending on ammunition, which currently only benefits companies supplying Colombia with less-lethal weaponry. These companies secured lucrative contracts before and during the 2021 outbreak<\/a>. On the other hand, the aim is to prevent a repeat of what former presidents \u00c1lvaro Uribe, Juan M. Santos, and Iv\u00e1n Duque did by mobilizing the police to support their government policies without condemning the violence of the ESMAD, resulting in dozens of deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c1lvaro Uribe used the ESMAD in the implementation of his democratic security policy, and during his presidential term from 2002 to 2010, this force killed 15 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicol\u00e1s Neira<\/td>Bogot\u00e1<\/td>2005-05-01<\/td><\/tr>
Johny Silva Aranguren<\/td>Valle del Cauca<\/td>2005-09-22<\/td><\/tr>
Belisasrio Camayo<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2005-11-10<\/td><\/tr>
Oscar Salas<\/td>Bogot\u00e1<\/td>2006-03-07<\/td><\/tr>
Pedro Pascu\u00e9 Canas<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2006-05-16<\/td><\/tr>
Jos\u00e9 Uldar\u00edco Gallego<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2006-07-14<\/td><\/tr>
Herney Silva Yela<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2007-02-19<\/td><\/tr>
Je\u015bus P\u00e9rez<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2007-02-19<\/td><\/tr>
Miriam Banam\u00e1 Guatiqu\u00ed (6 \u00f1os)<\/td>Choc\u00f3<\/td>2007-05-26<\/td><\/tr>
Laurise Rivera Fontalvo (3 a\u00f1os)<\/td>Bol\u00edvar<\/td>2007-11-22<\/td><\/tr>
Xavier Alfonso Eljach<\/td>Bol\u00edvar<\/td>2007-11-22<\/td><\/tr>
Tarquinas Valencia Ramos<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2008-10-12<\/td><\/tr>
Mariano Moreno Diz\u00fa<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2008-10-12<\/td><\/tr>
Jes\u00fas Antonio Nene<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2008-10-17<\/td><\/tr>
Ilberto Ipia Ibito<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2008-10-17<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Source:<\/a> Las 43 muertes que involucran al ESMAD antes del #21N<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During Juan Manuel Santos’ presidential term from August 7, 2010, to August 7, 2018, the ESMAD caused the deaths of 25 people. The National Agrarian Strike of 2013 alone is associated with the deaths of 12 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edwin Franco Jaimes<\/td>Norte de Santander<\/td>2013-06-22<\/td><\/tr>
Dionel J\u00e1come Ortiz<\/td>Norte de Santander<\/td>2013-06-22<\/td><\/tr>
Diomar Angarita<\/td>Norte de Santander<\/td>2013-06-25<\/td><\/tr>
Hermides Palacio<\/td>Norte de Santander<\/td>2013-06-25<\/td><\/tr>
Juan Carlos L\u00f3n<\/td>Cundinamarca<\/td>2013-08-26<\/td><\/tr>
Jeiner Mosquera<\/td>Tolima<\/td>2013-08-29<\/td><\/tr>
Jhonny Velazco Galvis<\/td>Bogot\u00e1<\/td>2013-08-29<\/td><\/tr>
Christian Jhoan Delgado Wilches<\/td>Bogot\u00e1<\/td>2013-08-29<\/td><\/tr>
Persona No Identificada<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2013-09-05<\/td><\/tr>
Persona No Identificada<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2013-09-05<\/td><\/tr>
Persona No Identificada<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2013-09-05<\/td><\/tr>
Persona No Identificada<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2013-09-05<\/td><\/tr>
Siberston Guillermo Pav\u00ed<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2015-04-10<\/td><\/tr>
Miguel \u00c1ngel Barbosa<\/td>Bogot\u00e1<\/td>2016-04-21<\/td><\/tr>
Brayan Jos\u00e9 Mancilla Ballestas (12 a\u00f1os)<\/td>Atl\u00e1ntico<\/td>2016-05-19<\/td><\/tr>
Gersain Cer\u00f3n<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2016-06-02<\/td><\/tr>
Marco Aurelio D\u00edaz<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2016-06-02<\/td><\/tr>
Naim\u00e9n Agust\u00edn Lara<\/td>Cesar<\/td>2016-07-11<\/td><\/tr>
Lu\u00eds Orlando Sa\u00edz<\/td>Boyac\u00e1<\/td>2016-07-12<\/td><\/tr>
Daniel\u00f1 Felipe Castro (16 a\u00f1os)<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2017-05-09<\/td><\/tr>
Mar\u00eda Efigenia Vasquez<\/td>Cauca<\/td>2017-10-08<\/td><\/tr>
Christian Stefan Gonz\u00e1lez<\/td>Nari\u00f1o<\/td>2018-03-25<\/td><\/tr>
Juan Jos\u00e9 Antonio Mayorga<\/td>Nari\u00f1o<\/td>2018-03-25<\/td><\/tr>
Iv\u00e1n Troches Casso<\/td>Nari\u00f1o<\/td>2018-03-25<\/td><\/tr>
Persona No Identificada<\/td>Nari\u00f1o<\/td>2018-03-25<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Source: Las 43 muertes que involucran al ESMAD antes del #21N<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iv\u00e1n Duque also turned to the ESMAD when the country erupted after attempting to impose a 19% increase in public services and basic food products amid the pandemic, without addressing poverty and hunger. The Institute for Studies on Development and Peace (Indepaz) reported<\/a> that during the strike, there were 83 homicides, with 44 of them involving the Security Forces. This occurred while spending on non-lethal ammunition was taking place amidst the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firing and bidding non-lethal ammo during the pandemic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Between 2019 and 2020, according to the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), 3.5 million people fell into monetary poverty, and 2.8 million people entered extreme monetary poverty<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Map of the spatial distribution of poverty in Bogot\u00e1 2020. Source: Dane<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Highlighting that Iv\u00e1n Duque invested significant sums while the population needed economic assistance. Former President Juan Manuel Santos had already provided the police with less-lethal weaponry, as denounced <\/a>by Senator Wilson Arias, who warned about the expenditure of 14 billion dollars on ammunition for the ESMAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today, the anti-riot police force has 25 thousand gas cartridges, 10 thousand stun grenades, 14 thousand multi-impact grenades, and over 12 thousand 12-gauge cartridges, the lethal ammunition that killed the young Dilan Cruz. To add to this, a projected expenditure of two trillion pesos has been planned to purchase 47 thousand gas cartridges, 11 thousand stun grenades, 23,700 marking bullets, 5 thousand multi-impact grenades, and 13,467 12-gauge cartridges.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

El Turbi\u00f3n was able to trace on the Colombia Licita<\/a> website that, in the midst of the pandemic and for the year 2021, Iv\u00e1n Duque tendered 8,583,110,314 pesos for repression measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protective gear and launchers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In April 2021, his administration offered 3,622,066,189 pesos for the acquisition of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n