UN body urges calm, after bloodshed in Colombian city of Cali

UN body urges calm, after bloodshed in Colombian city of Cali

BOGOTA — The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) on Tuesday voiced deep alarm over the violence in the city of Cali in Colombia, where a number of people were reportedly killed and wounded overnight as police opened fire on demonstrators.

Spokesperson Marta Hurtado said that the OHCHR office in Colombia is working to verify the exact number of casualties, and establish how the incident came about in Cali.

“We express our profound shock at the events there and stress our solidarity with those who have lost their lives, as well as the injured and their families,” she said.

Hurtado added that human rights defenders also reported having been harassed and threatened.

The protests, which began last Wednesday with a general strike over proposed tax reforms, continued despite an announcement from the Colombian presidency on Sunday that the reform bill would be removed from Congress. The finance minister is also reported to have resigned.

According to the UN human rights office, the majority of the protests so far have been peaceful but it has received allegations of