Over 23,000 march in support of Petro

AFP- Bogata- More than 23,000 indigenous people, workers, and students came out on Wednesday, September 27, to protest in the city of Bogotá, responding to a new call from President Gustavo Petro to defend the government in the streets when it struggles to consolidate peace in Colombia and make its reforms a reality. With scarves, flags, command staff, and musical instruments, the indigenous people gathered in the central Plaza de Bolívar after a walk along some of the main roads of the capital.

According to the mayor of Bogotá, at least 23,000 people, some coming from different regions, are demonstrating peacefully in the political heart of the country.

In a statement, the Colombian presidency invited the voters of Petro, in power since August 2022, to march “for peace, for life, for social justice after the most recent acts of violence”, related to attacks by guerrilla groups in the southwest of the country.

The government is criticized for its hasty attempts to seal peace with the dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who did not accept the historic 2016 agreement and the rebels of the National Liberation Army (ELN). Last week, the most powerful arm of the dissidents, the Central General Staff, detonated two car bombs against police stations in the southwest of the country, leaving two civilians dead and a handful injured.

In the midst of peace talks with the rebels, the government maintains a military offensive against its drug crops in Cauca and has killed about 20 combatants in a few weeks.

Opponents and the media denounce that state funds were allocated to a concert and the logistics of this Wednesday’s protests.

The Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, acknowledged that the government gave “some support” to the protesters in transportation and other expenses “in accordance with the provision” of the law, according to a statement from the Presidency.