John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There are two issues on which I wish to touch in direct response to some of the comments of the ambassador and Mr. Archilla Peñalosa. The first concerns the allusion to the blockage of roads and the destruction of property by some of the protestors. Is the indiscriminate targeting of protestors by the police and other actors a legitimate response to some of the actions of the protestors? To my mind, it was not a legitimate response. Could the ambassador comment on that?

My second point is on the investigations that have been launched. While I fully welcome the commencement of investigations, I note that in 2020 and 2019, there have been many deaths at the hands of police forces targeting protestors. About 13 protestors died at the hands of police as a direct consequence of their direct involvement in protests. There has been total impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes. I ask the ambassador to state what sentences have been handed down to the perpetrators of the crimes. What is being done to ensure there are thorough investigations? Full, thorough and independent investigations are critical.

On the broader issue, on the end of the systematic use of police violence, I asked a specific question on the reform of the police services within Colombia. Maybe the ambassador will touch on those points briefly.