Colombia: ‘They are killing us’
From GreenLeft.org
Candlelight vigils were held in Colombia and cities around world on July 6 under the slogan ‘They are killing us’ to demand an end to the political violence that has cost the lives of more than 125 social leaders in the South American country since January alone.
The protests coincidence with a particularly deadly week in Colombia in which seven social leaders were assassinated.
Political violence against social activists has risen in recent years despite the signing of a peace accord between the government and the leftist guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). According to Colombia’s Ombudsman, more than 311 political murders have been registered since the accords were signed in November 2016.
This trend has escalated further since the June election of far-right presidential candidate Ivan Duque, with on average, one social leader being murdered each day since the election.
Vigils organised were held in Colombia’s capital Bogota and Medellin, as well as more than 25 cities around the world including Sydney (pictured below), Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, London, New York, Rome and Buenos Aires.
