MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2019) A day of nationwide protests and strikes in Colombia has been overshadowed by violence with protesters burning tires and throwing Molotov cocktails, thus provoking police to use water cannons and tear gas, media reported.
El Tiempo reported that massive clashes during marches, involving thousands of protesters, took place in Bogota, Manizales, Santiago de Cali and Bucaramanga on Thursday.
The reports said a lot of protesters had been detained and a lot of people had sustained injuries in the violence, while specific numbers have not been reported.
"Due to violence in several districts of the city, which have overshadowed the national protest day, I decided to declare a curfew today beginning on 07:00 p.m. [noon GMT]. Those who violate it will be detained," Mauricio Armitage, the mayor of Santiago de Cali, said in a video address, published by the regional security ministry on Twitter on Thursday.
In Bogota, the protesters blocked off several roads and highways. The demonstrators are burning barricades and throwing stones on the police who are using tear gas and water cannons to suppress them, according to the reports. However, the protesters remain in the center of the city. Moreover, the demonstrations have provoked metro traffic suspension in the Colombian capital.
The protest on Thursday was initially planned to be held as a peaceful march involving students and professors. However, the opposition announced its plans to carry out a general strike on the same day.
The demonstrators are protesting against the authorities' inaction in fighting crime and improving the economic situation in the country.
Meanwhile, the authorities have warned that the protest might provoke unrest, which was a case in Venezuela and Bolivia, where riots led to a large number of casualties and significant material damage.
Ahead of the protest day, the Colombian migration service closed the country's border. Moreover, the government tightened security measures by introducing a ban on carrying weapons and restricting sales and consumption of alcohol, and announced the possibility of introducing a curfew.
