Columbia’s State of Unrest

After a failed tax overhaul and a perceived poor government reaction to the COVID-19 virus, the Colombian government has received widespread public backlash. Protestors taking have taken to the streets and have interacted with military units deployed to “keep the peace.” This has resulted in numerous casualties and has only furthered the conflict between protestors and authority figures. Originally, the majority of protestors had been focusing on reducing commerce and forcing government attention by affecting the economy. An economy that was already incredibly weakened due to the pandemic, and one that the Colombian government is desperate to repair. This forced the government to respond quickly and decisively, which resulted in military action. Soldiers have been deployed to many major cities in a threatening display of power, which removes much of the possibility for a civil resolution. As the conflict continues to afflict more and more Colombian citizens, we are left to worry about the inevitable escalation of the conflict.

This leads to a discussion of policies on the international stage. The United States provides significant foreign aid to the Colombian government and will be forced to reach a stance on the situation. Many officials have been strong advocates for a freeze on assistance to the government until the allegations of human rights violations can be disproven. This begins a difficult foreign policy discussion which can only end in controversy.