The International Independent Mechanism for Promoting Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement on Thursday found that racism against persons of African descent in Colombia is still deeply embedded in the country’s institutions and creates a sense of fear among youth in the community.
The findings, contained in a report released after an 11-day visit to several major cities, highlighted how young people of African descent routinely face this discriminatory treatment when it comes to law enforcement. For example, stop and search practices, often initiated based on vague criteria such as “matching a description,” “anti-gang requirements,” or “suspicious behavior” without evidence, have been systematically used on youth of African descent.
To date, the publication of comprehensive statistics on the frequency and results of stops and searches involving juveniles, broken down by age, ethnicity, location and reasons, is not yet available. This lack of publicly available data has become a key issue Point of criticism This results in other instances of racial profiling, such as the use of excessive force, cruel treatment during detention and extortionate fines, being swept under the rug.
Although the UN has praised the Colombian government for this recognition Given the existence of structural racism in the country and their efforts to address the problem such as: Such as reformulating guidelines on the use of police force in dealing with social protests and prioritizing civil dialogue over confrontation, the independent organization stressed that there is still much work to be done. The prevailing racism The situation in the country has affected Afro-Colombians in many different aspects of their lives, such as economic marginalization, territorial displacement and at the hands of non-state armed groups and criminal organizations.
The living conditions faced by people of African descent were so precarious that they led to a milestone Citizens’ strike in 2017, forcing officials to offer solutions to their predicament. Despite making up 26% of Colombia’s 40 million population, Afro-Colombians remain one of the country’s most marginalized groups, even though they are officially protected Law 70commonly referred to as “Black Communities Law.” This monumental law was enacted in 1993 and promised the Afro-descendant population Protection of racial discrimination, the right to preserve and govern their territories, and the promise of improved socioeconomic development.
In principle, this law recognizes the rich history of people of African descent and the central role they play in Colombia, but in reality it recognizes the present Climate of violence The fact that they are forced to live through it paints a completely different picture.
