MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2019) Protests resume in Colombia's five major cities as the government's offer of tax relief measures seems to have failed to appease public dissatisfaction, media reported on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, President Ivan Duque unveiled measures to ease tax burden on low-income population and create new jobs. His announcement came after national trade unions decided to exit the negotiating process with the government and scheduled a new nationwide strike for Wednesday.
In anticipation of renewed violence, Duque warned on Wednesday morning that all "hooligans and vandals" would be brought to justice.
The president noted that the government did not intend to prevent or ban peaceful protests, albeit highlighting the authorities' duty to ensure the safety of residents, unhindered traffic and public transport services.
Colombian media, meanwhile, reported that hundreds of people joined protests on Wednesday in Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla.
In Medellin, the second-largest city in Colombia, student protests began with a minute of silence and flower-laying ceremony in memory of a demonstrator who died the other day. In some cities, protesters have blocked roads. Local authorities have set up fences to control the flow of people. No clashes have been reported so far.
Protests against the government's alleged inaction in fighting crime and improving the economic situation gripped Colombia's large cities last week. On November 21, more than 200,000 people participated in a national day of protests and strikes. Four people have been reportedly killed in the wave of unrest, with hundreds injured.
