received threats and 20 were arbitrarily protesters in Cali, constituting manifestations detained in the context of protests. of urban paramilitarism. José Alberto Tejada, a journalist Following multiple complaints about the documenting the National Strike in Cali, was militarized response and police repression of the victim of more than 14 security demonstrations, the IACHR undertook a incidents.1 On 31 August, he was granted working visit to Colombia between 8 and 10 provisional measures by the Inter-American June. In its observations and Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). recommendations it called for, among other Journalist Claudia Julieta Duque reported things, the immediate cessation of the that the National Protection Unit of the disproportionate use of force by the security Ministry of the Interior had collected sensitive forces and the removal of the National Police, data on her movements between February including the ESMAD, from the Ministry of and August without her authorization. Defence in order to ensure that their actions EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY USE OF were consistent above all with a civilian rather FORCE than a military approach. Police violence against protesters continued Decree 575, which provided for the during August, September and October, deployment of the military in public order leading 25 civil society organizations to operations in eight departments, was issued request that the IACHR activate the Special on 28 May and temporarily suspended by the Monitoring Mechanism for Human Rights in Council of State in July. Colombia provided for in its report on its Between 28 April and 30 June, 84 people working visit. died in the context of protests; 1,790 people As of 27 May, the National Working Group were injured, and 298 human rights on Enforced Disappearances had reported defenders were attacked. Of those injured, 775 enforced disappearances in the context 103 sustained eye trauma.2 of the National Strike; the fate of 327 people In June, Michelle Bachelet, UN High remained unknown. Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed On 5 June, 17-year-old Duván Felipe Barros her deep concern over reports of serious Gómez disappeared in the context of human rights violations by state security demonstrations in the capital, Bogotá. After a forces in Colombia. In December her office month-long search by his family, his body published a report stating that they had was found in the morgue of the forensic verified 46 deaths (44 civilians and two police facility. officers) in the context of the protests, mainly ARBITRARY DETENTION AND TORTURE in the city of Cali, as well as 60 reports of sexual violence. Of these, the OHCHR According to the NGO Campaign Defending verified 16 cases of sexual violence allegedly Freedom, 3,275 people were arbitrarily committed by members of the National detained in the context of demonstrations Police. between 28 April and 30 June. Cali was the epicentre of the police On 28 May, Álvaro Herrera, Noé Muñoz, 3 repression of social protest. “Operation and Sebastián Mejía were beaten and Siloé”, a joint incursion by members of the detained by armed civilians and National Police, the ESMAD and the Special subsequently detained for 24 hours by the Operations Group (GOES) in which lethal National Police in Cali. Álvaro Herrera and weapons were used against peaceful Sebastián Mejía reported that they were protesters, began on 3 May. Kevin Agudelo subjected to torture and other cruel and was shot during a vigil for victims of police inhuman treatment during their detention. violence and died. On 9 and 28 May, the National Police and armed civilians attacked Amnesty International Report 2021/22 132