Colombia's 'Permanent' Protests

Why do you include garbage opinions but you describe it as news. In regards to Colombia Reports get a play sheet with your happy meal at McDonalds and you will get more out of it.

No, Matt, that was presented as news, not my opinion.

Of course, you may be allowed temporarily to present snarky sniping, so long as it doesn't violate Expat.com rules or constitute useless 'flaming' of our site.

Colombia Reports has a photograph of the enormous crowd in Bogotá last Saturday, in the article titled Colombia's Anti-Government Protests Swell to Historic Proportions.

cccmedia

At least publish it with a Fake News notice to be more accurate. Not Real News or (NRN) for short. You only need to mine for 5 minutes on Colombia Reports and you know where he is coming from, so will not be a long term endeavor for the truth.  Thank you.

matt552 wrote:

At least publish it with a Fake News notice to be more accurate. Not Real News or (NRN) for short. You only need to mine for 5 minutes on Colombia Reports and you know where he is coming from, so will not be a long term endeavor for the truth.  Thank you.

You seem to be saying there's no unrest?  If YOU know what is going on please enlighten us.

I haven't read anything at all from Colombia Reports.  I get my news from in-country sources including my family in Cali and Bogotá, as well as reports from expats around the country.  There is widespread unrest - it's all over the news, it's all over social media from individuals who are experiencing it first hand.  It's not made up.  Dozens of people have been killed.  Businesses and infrastructure have been burned and destroyed.  Streets and highways are blocked.  Supplies of food for people, food for animals, gasoline, everything had been stopped and not let into Cali although now more is getting through but bloqueos continue. People especially indígenas are being paid to riot and to damage.

This appears to be a coordinated effort to bring down Duque's government, and at the least, stop the government from returning to the fumigation and eradication efforts of coca plants in Cauca department and elsewhere, which both the narcotraficantes and minga indígena want to see left alone.  They already got what the protests and paro nacional were first ostensibly started over - the reforma tributaria which would have increased taxes.  Duque quickly withdrew that from consideration but the protests continue anyway.  That all this unrest coincides with leftist goals to destabilize and possibly topple the government is a happy meeting of circumstances for the left.

cccmedia and Osage Archer sure did upset matt552 by simply making comments about the obvious mass demonstrations and anarchy. The reports I'm getting from three Cali locals mirror what these commenters have posted. I spoke to a lady today who felt trapped in an Unicentro in Cali where she had gone to try to buy some food which for many items seems to be in short supply. She hired an Uber and was able to return to her apartment but she was sure scared when I spoke with her.

Good. Need to stop the protests before the left wins the day by causing something that looks like another thing. This is the same page of the playbook used in other SA countries and similar to that of today in the US. Cloak the left in other issues.

I departed Colombia about four days into the protests from Peiria, and this is the local's point of view who are not easily impressionable and under 40.

This is a battle to see if Colombia remains Colombia or becomes another Venezuela. We are returning after a few months here in Mexico as my spouse is from Peiria. This is the way everyone in her friend and family circles see this, and it is nothing as it is being characterized by NGOs and Euro/US news.

Viva Colombia!

Colombia Reports is the Colombian version of US NPR. Only, without any semblance of professionalism. At least NPR also reports accurately and not sheerly as an outsider on emotion.

Colombia's nationwide protests have been going on since late April, more than a month.

The protest epicenter remains Cali.  In that city, two Expats confronting protesters were disarmed and injured, one of them reported hospitalized.

The protesters have new demands including a government-authorized income.

Negotiations between the government and the national strike committee are stalled.

Armed civilian squads are fighting with protesters over road closures, with several deaths reported late this week in Cali and between Cali and Candelaria.

In other places, protests remain peaceful.

The total death toll is in dispute.

Sources... the Guardian and the BBC, reprinted at www.cuencahighlife.com

@cccmedia
Thanks for the update. Several acquaintances in Cali tell me the situation there is terrible. They hint at chaos being the best description. I left Colombia last July to visit family and just cancelled a return flight to Cali for late June due to the news and the US State Department issuing a don't travel alert that seems to be more for Covid-19 than the current demonstrations. Nonetheless I'm not going back until things simmer down.

I live in Cartago and so far there's been no problems other than certain vegies and sliced bread shortages, but last night...

So, I was in Barranquilla for a couple days and came home yesterday. The busita had to stop outside of Cartago, as well as another busita, and all the passengers were told to walk into town. We all did so, at one point we were misled by some military guys telling us to go a certain way, only do discover that it was a dead-end. Then we backtracked along the river road and into downtown, but on the way there had been numerous loud bangs from some blocks away. Then a few minutes later the air was getting "foggy" and everyone had extreme pain in their eyes and throats. There were a couple of couples with babies. Apparently the police, or military, had shot tear gas somewhere some blocks away and the breeze just happened to be blowing in our direction. That was my first experience with tear gas and I'll tell you, it's no fun. That shit is painful. The group of people slowly shrank as we all took different roads home and I never saw any cops or military persons on my route home.

I believe that the reasons for the protests are reasonable, but the way they are going about the protests is not. Are they doing any kind of harm to the federal government? I don't think so, I think they are just hurting themselves, their families, friends, communities, cities. I wish they would realize that and stop the violence and road blocks.

We live in Bogotá specifically Cedritos so fortunately these Peaceful Protest as you call them are normally all towards the Center to the South.
I will only say the obvious what the Bogotá News Channels do not say.
Next if these people were actually Peaceful then the so called Protest would remain Peaceful.
In Bogotá alone there have been over 1000 Busses burnt to the ground, who will replace these Busses ? the Government or will the cost of transportation go up to the user’s ?
50% of the Transit Stations have been destroyed, who will repair or replace these Transit Stations ?
Many Police Community Buildings have been destroyed ? leaving no where for the Police to be stationed.
Streets and Sidewalks which were already in terrible condition are worse now because these Peaceful Protesters set fires to tires and remove bricks to throw at the Busses and Building windows.
These same Peaceful Protesters have broken into many Businesses taking whatever they desire, leaving the Store Destroyed.
Just last week one of the Organizers of the Peaceful Protest demanded that the Colombian Government do away with ALL Police and Military Why ?
The News Cameras and Private People with their smart phones are always ready to film a Police Person supposedly doing something violent but these same people always turn the Cameras off when the Peaceful Protesters are throwing bottles of acid or gasoline on Police or the Military ?
These Peaceful Protesters blockaded the roads into Bogotá about a 1 1/2 months ago, meaning that Hospitals had no oxygen for their Patients, food supplies were limited and we received a letter from the Water Supplier saying that they were no longer able to chemically treat the water supply so over 8 million people were being held hostage by these Peaceful Protesters.
To wrap this up these Peaceful Protest are in reality the brainchild of the Narco Cartels, FARC and ELN to inflict fear in the Colombian People.
Colombia Tourism ? why has it never boomed ? this Country is beautiful but only by photos or videos because the Narco Cartels, FARC and ELN control the Jungles and Small Towns and now they are attempting to control all major Cities.
When we do vacation we fly to Cartagena where Security is better and we certainly enjoy the climate.
My comments are not Political but very truthful so I hope I am not censored.

Sounds like BLM and Antifa visited Bogota-Colombia!

You are absolutely correct

👍

Your comment
Are they wanting to harm the Federal Government
Absolutely Yes
The Narco Cartels, FARC and ELN are behind all these Peaceful Protest with the help of Maduro

Just because Farc or criminals take advantage and infiltrate the peaceful marches... which, of course, are the ones to make the news, doesn't mean that the 95% or more who are peaceful and have real reasons to protest the government, should be discounted or badmouthed.

Shows how some people are totally disconnected from the majority of the population. Of course, some are doing just fine or get their money in dollars... and have no feeling for people who are suffering...

I am not out of touch with the reality of the Culture or the people’s needs in Colombia
I am married to a very lovely Colombian woman and our daughter, they both work 10 hours a day 6 days a week. The Government can not change these so called Peaceful Protest nor will Peaceful Protest ever change Culture and “Stratos” differences which is based on the area you live in and these people want more. Protest Organizers use these people why ? because normally they are uneducated and will believe every story they are told.
You say 95% are Peaceful, I would question your number.
I would venture to say the majority of people in Bogotá want and need to work just to survive daily but these Peaceful Protesters are making it impossible for people to work. These Peaceful Protesters pick Stratos 1 areas why ? when these are the most needy ?
Am I out of touch with this problem Absolutely NOT,  I know how much my wife and daughter earn on a monthly basest.  My daughter’s employer deposits her money monthly in her account but my wife’s employer pays her cash and most of the time he is always a month behind and I believe many employers do exactly the same. People need their jobs and employers and tend to never complain and if they do complain their employer will say If you do not like it quit, this is not the Government’s Problem. My wife’s Employer has 5 memberships to the best Golf Club in Bogotá and pays his Membership every month, why ? His Ego and it is a Status Symbol.
There are issues definitely in Colombia and it is not all Government.
Now a Government Problem, Official’s make 100 times the minimum salary is this a problem YES.
The Mayor of Bogotá openly denounces the Police, but she and her Senator wife have 24/7 Armed Police Security  ?
I am not out of touch with the reality of this Culture and Problems

Update
Today in the Colombian Military Base in Cucuta
A car bombing

The ELN, FARC dissidents and crime gangs are all present in sometimes-restive Norte de Santander province, where the 30th Brigade operates.


https://www.reuters.com/article/colombi … SL2N2NX2ZA

Gasoline protests.

We revive this 2021 thread now that protesting

has gotten underway in major Colombian cities

against gasoline price hikes.

Thousands of protesters on motos and in cars

took to the streets this week to protest

the Petro government's decision to raise gas taxes.

The price at the pump has been increasing as

the government reduces subsidies.

The government says it needs the money to pay debts

and for social programs.

For most drivers the price at the pump has increased

more than 50 percent this year to 14,000 Pesos per gallon.

Taxi drivers got some relief last weekend

when they negotiated a freeze on gas prices

paid by the conductores of Colombia's 200.000 yelllow cabs.

Source... Associated Press, reprinted at Cuenca HighLife

cccmedia

Errata....  I thank a sharp-eyed member who pointed out

the 14,000 Pesos figure.  The original version of this

post said 1,400 Pesos per gallon.