The President of Colombia Responds to Political Unrest

IVAN DUQUE, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT: We have always trusted and we have always defended the fundamental rights in our constitution for pacifist protest. We believe that it’s part of freedom of expression. And when we refer to pacifist protest, we have always guaranteed rights. We have to understand that, in some places of the country, we have seen that people have turned their expression into vandalism and criminal actions. Those actions are regulated under the Colombian legislation to be faced with specific protocols from the police and, obviously, by local authorities. So, we have guaranteed that those protocols are met. And I have to be very clear as well, Christiane, that if there’s any wrongdoing from a member of the police or from the army in any expression, those conducts are being investigated and are going to be judicialized. But it’s also very important to say that most of the protesters have acted peacefully. And a minimum group that has, in some places, linkages to criminal actions, those kinds of conducts have to be faced by the police with contingency.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: OK. Mr. President, you say what most people are saying, that most of the protests are peaceful. And yet, in your statement that we broadcast before you came on live, you implied that you were faced with a terrorist mob, and that the response by the government was legitimate. And yet 41 civilians have been killed. And we have seen and we have aired the reports and videos of the incidents there. So, we have also heard from young people on the streets in your country, in your capital, saying: We just want dialogue. We want to talk to our leaders about poverty, about the collapse of our basic services, about that tax that was slapped on us that means that we can’t afford even basic goods. I know you have removed that now. But if you agree that the majority of the protesters are peaceful, why is this militarized response continuing? Will you call it off?

DUQUE: Let me — let me, Christiane, de-aggregate your question, because I think it’s very important for me to clarify all the points that you have raised. First of all, pacifist protest is always guaranteed and shall be guaranteed by any authority in our country.