By Luis Jaime Acosta and Oliver Griffin
BOGOTÁ (Reuters) – The mayor of Bogota demanded a pardon on Sunday and called for reconciliation after protests in the Colombian capital left 10 civilians dead and many wounded.
Demonstrators in Bogota and the satellite city of Soacha protested this week against the death on Wednesday of Javier Ordóñez, 46. A widely shared video showed that the father of two had been caught with a paralyzing gun through the police. a hospital.
“We are here today to apologize to all those who suffered police brutality,” Mayor Claudia Lopez said on a televised occasion to commemorate those who suffered the protests.
Seven young men, in addition to teenagers, were killed after being shot dead at the Bogota protests on Wednesday, while three other people were killed in Thursday night’s protests, adding a woman who was hit by a stolen public bus.
Three other people also died in Soacha during the protests.
“We are asking for justice, because we know of other incidents of this kind that have gone unpunished and we don’t need the same for each of those victims,” said Bryan Baquero, whose sister Angie murdered in the protests.
Lopez reiterated his call for the police to become a civilian organization that is a military organization. Colombian police are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense.
Police said Ordóñez discovered drinking alcohol on the street with his friends in violation of coronavirus estating rules. Two policemen involved in Ordóñez’s death were ignored and face charges of abuse of authority and murder.
Five officials related to his death have been suspended.
On Friday, Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo apologized for police brutality, while President Ivan Duque said abuses by security forces would not be tolerated.
Hundreds of civilians were wounded in clashes between protesters and policemen, and dozens shot and wounded in Bogota.
Nearly 200 police officers were also injured, while at least 60 police stations were vandalized, as well as dozens of transit vehicles.
(Report through Luis Jaime Acosta and Oliver Griffin; Editing via Lisa Shumaker)