Updated: June 1, 2021

• Protests continue over a month after the initial April 28th General Strike.

• Protestors are fighting against police brutality, poverty and inequality.

• Protestors are still being brutalized, beaten, tortured, raped and killed.

• The UN continues to condemn the use of excessive force by the authorities.

• President Duque has called for an end to the road blockages and has sent 7,000 troops to enforce their removal.

• Counter-protestors started marching on May 30th. Some in favor of removing blockages so their businesses can survive, while others show support for the security forces.

• The number of Colombians in extreme poverty skyrocketed during the pandemic, and unfortunately they continue to be the hardest hit by the protests.

What Is Happening in Colombia?

May 8, 2021

Lorena Mosquera García is the Coordinator of English at Instituto Departamental de Bellas Artes, in Cali Colombia. She holds a B.A. in Teaching Literature from Universidad del Valle. She has worked as an ELT leader for different programs organized by the Ministry of Education, as part of the Colombia Bilingüe Program.

Follow Lorena on Instagram : @lorenmosgar

Follow these hashtags for more information: #noalareformatributaria #soscolombia #soscali #nosestanmatando #paronacional

Cali, mi Cali

Cali was the first city in Colombia that I lived it and it’s where my love for Colombia was born. Lorena and I met when I was a volunteer in the Colombia Bilingüe Program back in 2017. She served as the Regional Coordinator for Cali. She helped me through a lot of situations and was a life line to me and all the other trainees she was tasked with keeping in line. Just kidding! We were all very well behaved and responsible. We became quick friends and it’s an honor for me to call her my friend and have her as the first official guest of the Kimmytravels Podcast.

How Did the Protests Start?

The Colombian President, Ivan Duque Márquez, recently proposed a tax reform in an effort to recover from some of the economic losses due to COVID in 2020. His goal was to impose taxes on mainly middle and lower class citizens, as well as tax basic goods and services in a bid to raise over 6 billion USD. Of course the “pueblo” was not happy about it and took to the streets. Unionized workers from several organizations came together and called for a general strike to occur on April 28th 2021.

Who is Protesting?

The general strike brought together people from all backgrounds to protest the now-canceled tax reform. Students, teachers, minority groups, indigenous groups, women’s groups, and even farmers took to the streets of Colombian cities, big and small.

But What About COVID?

Colombians were hard hit by COVID and over 42% of the population were plunged into deep poverty. Not “barely making it”, but “not making it at all”, that’s over 20 million people….in deep poverty….who the government wants to tax even further. The protests have now evolved to include issues such as health, education, police brutality, inequality and poverty. The Colombian people are willing to risk exposure to the Coronavirus for a cause they believe in deeply.

Violence Against Citizens

Duque first reduced, then cancelled the current tax reform in hopes of putting an end to the protests. After seeing that the protesters had gained momentum, the government took extreme action and decided to fight back with force. Instead of protecting its citizens, the anti-riot force (ESMAD) and the military actually opened fire on the crowds of mostly peaceful protestors.

A Call For Restraint

The world took notice and many human rights organizations and world leaders have called on the Colombian President to call off the attacks of his citizens. It’s disheartening that state sanctioned violence was used in the first place, but unfortunately it’s all too common in many countries.

Is It Safe to Travel to Cali Right Now?

Maybe right now is not the best time for a visit. Colombia is currently in the third wave of the Coronavirus, and Cali is on lockdown which means there are restrictions on what time you can be outside. Restaurants with terraces can open as long as they follow procedures, bars and clubs are closed. Malls are open and you can exercise outdoors on the weekends from 6am-11am.

The situation at the airport is changing daily, so even if you arrive safely, there may not be transportation to take you into town. Plus, the nature of the protests could mean that roads are closed and hard to navigate. It’s probably safer to wait for awhile. It’s a great idea to look for updates regularly if Colombia is on your travel agenda. You never want to be caught off guard and possibly put in a dangerous situation.

A Final Thought

Lorena explains that the situation isn’t constant chaos, as some news outlets would have you believe, but the effects of the protest are ever present. She believes it is important that everyday people are getting the message out so that the large news stations are not solely responsible for painting a narrative that may not be exactly true.

Lorena is especially worried about her university students, many of whom are taking part in the protests. She has also noticed the food shortage in supermarkets due to road blockages. Lorena believes that empathy is the way forward and that it must come from those least likely to show it. She remains hopeful that Colombia will come out of this better and asks for the world to share the story of what is happening in her country at the hands of the authorities.

“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.”

-Zora Neale Hurston

**If you are in Colombia and would like to share your experience, please contact me here.