Colombia Vice President Ramirez appointed minister of foreign affairs msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
May 17, 2021
Colombia’s anti-government protests have shattered President Ivan Duque‘s far-right party, which has seen its chances in next year’s elections gone up in smoke.
None of the allies of former President Alvaro Uribe, the undisputed boss of the Democratic Center (CD) party, stand a chance in the 2022 presidential vote, according to a poll released by Semana on Sunday.
The poll indicated that least hopeless “Uribista” candidate would be Vice-President Marta Lucia Ramirez who could count on the support of 5% of people polled for the government-loyal magazine.
If she were to make it to the second round, Ramirez wouldn’t stand a chance against opposition Senator Gustavo Petro who received the support of 25%, according to Semana.
May 15, 2021
Members of US Congress called on the government of President Joe Biden to suspend all aid to Colombia’s police, which is being accused of gross human rights violations to quell anti-government protests.
In a letter, the 55 house representatives urged Secretary of State Joe Blinken to reject the violence and suspend all direct aid to the National Police, with the exception of human rights training.
Colombia’s security forces, especially its National Police, are more unleashed than we have seen in decades of strife – hundreds of citizen videos show aggressive, indiscriminate use of lethal and non-lethal weapons against citizens in ways that violate both Colombian law and international human rights standards.
Colombia s vice president says government did not appropriately communicate tax proposal that sparked deadly protests By Christopher Brito Colombian VP on anti-government protests
Colombia s Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez said in an interview with CBSN that the government did not appropriately communicate a tax proposal that sparked deadly protests in the country. This reform was focused precisely in the opportunity to have better income for very poor families, but the law was not communicated appropriately, Ramirez said Friday. [Protesters] used that opportunity to fight the government, she said.
Colombia Vice President @MLuciaramirez tells CBSN that the government takes fault in not communicating appropriately the tax proposal that sparked protests in the country. https://t.co/5GCxjPFXIJpic.twitter.com/hc2WatKrsr CBS News (@CBSNews) May 14, 2021
Colombia’s anti-government protests | Part 3: the VP topples herself
May 13, 2021
Colombia’s president Ivan Duque disappeared Wednesday after students avenged weeks of police brutality with massive street parties and his vice-president literally toppled herself.
All Vice-President Marta Lucia Ramirez had to do was sit still while President Ivan Duque addressed a few dozen students who weren’t taking part in the peaceful uprising.
Ironically, the VP somehow managed to fall out of her chair, all but ruining the president’s illusion that his government was still firmly in control of the country.
Everybody but the few dozen people who saw Ramirez go down witnessed an unprecedented student uprising that made it evident that Duque had lost all control.