Colombia gives police greater power to break up street protests

On Tuesday, Colombia's government revised guidelines for police responses to street protests, granting officers increased authority to disperse demonstrations where protesters are damaging public property or obstructing essential services, such as through roadblocks. These changes come as the conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella prepares to face his first major protest amidst concerns from activists and opposition politicians that the new guidelines may be subject to broad interpretation by officers and potentially result in heightened instances of police violence.

The revised guidelines were officially published late on Tuesday, just hours before de la Espriella's government confronted demonstrators. Opposition parties, trade unions, Indigenous groups and social movements are scheduled to gather in several cities on Wednesday to protest de la Espriella's economic and security policies.

During a televised address on Monday night, de la Espriella reaffirmed that the right to protest would remain protected, stating that "law enforcement will not interfere with peaceful marches." However, he emphasized that the rights of those not protesting should also be respected, asserting that roadblocks obstructing people from going to work and disrupting commerce would no longer be deemed acceptable.

Such actions could now be classified as acts of aggression under the new guidelines, which mandate that police and protesters establish "humanitarian corridors" during demonstrations.

According to de la Espriella, for years, roadblocks have prevented food and medicine from reaching communities, and he deemed this situation to be a right, not an exercise of one. In rural Colombia, Indigenous communities often block major roads to protest government policies or delays in implementing social programs, with some roadblocks lasting for weeks.

The new protocols, which also categorize vandalism of public property as an act of aggression, have been rejected by social movements and human rights groups who argue they grant police excessive power to quash protests.

Since the beginning of 2021, at least 46 individuals have been killed during anti-government protests triggered by rising economic inequality following the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports from human rights organizations have attributed many of these fatalities to police officers. Under the previous guidelines, officers were obligated to attempt dialogue and mediation to quell violence before resorting to force.

The new regulations state that dialogue and mediation are "optional" measures when acts of aggression or vandalism occur. Jennifer Pedraza, an opposition senator, expressed concern that the new guidelines could trigger a resurgence of police violence, alleging that the government is seeking to suppress protesters and find justifications for their actions.