Colombia’s Capitol evacuated during protest, Duque opens “national dialogue”

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Daniel Eduardo Rojas Sánchez.

The street marches that began early in the morning in locations throughout Bogotá, and in the aftermath of widespread rioting, began gathering in the historic center at noon and accompanied by a theatre troupe, percussion ensembles and marchers draped in Colombian flags, many waving the tricolor upside down in a sign of protest.

As an estimated 5,000 demonstrators occupied Plaza de Bolívar in the rain, a group of demonstrators broke through the metal barricades that line the front of Congress, tearing at protective lining and defacing the façade.

3:20 pm. Given an imminent threat that vandals would charge the Capitol while an afternoon session of the plenary was taking place, lawmakers evacuated the building as Bogotá’s Government Secretariat Luis Ernesto Gómez called for calm and attempted to dissuade vandals from committing further violent acts.

Bogotá’s Government Secretariat Luis Ernesto Gómez dissuades protestors from entering Congress.

The demonstration was met with teargas fired by the police’s anti-riot squad ESMAD.

By 4:00 pm with the closure of Bogotá’s mass transit system TransMilenio, thousands of workers grappled with mobility gridlock and are walking to their homes before the start of the 8pm health emergency curfew.

  • Given the serious security situation unfolding across Colombia, the representatives of the country’s largest trade unions announced that will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon to see if they continue with strike action.
  • Vice-President Martha Lucia Ramírez summoned the diplomatic corps to the San Carlos Palace to explain to the international community recent developments after widespread condemnation by human rights organizations of police brutality.
  • Bogotá Mayor Claudia López visited youngsters injured in Tuesday’s riots at the Kennedy Hospital and 19 police officers also injured after vandals attempted to torch neighborhood command posts – CAI.
  • López has suspended the vehicle mobility restriction Pico y Placa until Monday, May 10.
  • Coronavirus vaccinations were suspended at midday given the security situation.
  • President Iván Duque summoned representatives from all political parties to participate in a “national dialogue.”

    Daniel Eduardo Rojas

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