Dozens of Colombian citizens in Christchurch went to the Bridge of Remembrance on Saturday to show solidarity with their nation as their Government increases crackdowns on the public.
They held flags and chanted “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido", translated as “the people united will never be defeated”, as well as singing their national anthem.
Colombia is currently in one of the longest Covid lockdowns in the world, which has had a detrimental effect on the citizens.
The number of people living in extreme poverty in Colombia grew an estimated 2.8 million last year alone, and the lack of support from the Government is leading many to desperate measures.
Protests sparked up after the Colombian Government, headed by Iván Duque, recently reformed their tax system to try to help debt obligations and fix the credit rating of the country.
Janneth Gil, one of the people at the vigil said this was what the protests were all about.
“They’re spending money on things like electoral campaigns and guns and cars. People are dying at home because some of the people can’t work due to Covid lockdowns, and they don’t get any assistance.”
After the announcement, people in Colombia took to the streets to voice their frustration.
The Government responded with force, with watchdog group Temblores reporting 38 homicides and hundreds of acts of violence by police against protestors.
A video by Amnesty International showed police using lethal weaponry at their discretion to suppress citizens.
