Bogotá, March 19 (Prensa Latina) Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on victims of the state to enter into dialogue with the national government to advance reparation mechanisms, according to the presidency’s website released today.
In particular, based on the 2021 social protest, the ruler pointed out that it is crucial to establish communication between a victims’ association and the government to set the terms of this reparation for the victims made by the state. It is necessary that we can heal this wound, he stressed.
He referenced the issue when entering into a public dialogue with Sidssy Uribe, sister of Lucas Villa, who was murdered in May 2021 in the city of Pereira during the days of the national strike.
At a gathering in the parish of Quinchía (Risaralda), Petro Villas gave the floor to her sister, who called for justice.
“I come as a victim to seek justice because it has been two years since my brother Lucas Villa was murdered; There is no justice and I just want to remind you that my brother Lucas Villa will be 39 on March 17, Sidssy Uribe said
Not only are we victims of unemployment, social leaders and leaders are still afraid, he said.
In this regard, the President recalled that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued recommendations on what happened during the social protests.
Of these recommendations, there was one on police reform; and others involved in reparation, making amends, where possible, to relatives or surviving victims of the social outburst, he explained.
The national government and the IACHR agreed last January to create a follow-up mechanism for the recommendations made by that body in a report on events during the social protest in Colombia between 2020 and 2021.
rgh/alb