CALI, Colombia — As anti-government protests have gripped Colombia, an analysis of videos from multiple encounters between demonstrators and the police shows how officers used indiscriminate and, in some cases, lethal force against civilians.
The incidents of police violence range from clubbing protesters who were already in custody to fatally shooting a 17-year-old student in the head as he ran away.
At least 44 people have died since nationwide protests began on April 28 over economic disparity issues, according to the Defensoría del Pueblo, a government organization charged with tracking human rights violations. The death toll includes two police officers who have died in the demonstrations.
The Times met and interviewed witnesses and victims in Cali, combed through hundreds of videos circulating on social media and submitted to our tip line. The visual evidence reveals a pattern of disproportionate use of force by Colombia’s national police, including its controversial riot-response unit.