Opposition groups in Colombia turn to town hall rallies for answers | Poverty and Development Issues

Cali, Colombia – When protests broke out in Colombia in April, security forces evacuated police in the Aguablanca region, which is neglecting southern Cali with large stones and heavy shields.

The six-port region was re-established in Puerto Resistencia and transformed into a place of development, culture, and democracy. Steps away from the firefighting library, many neighbors meet each week to discuss the causes and solutions to problems. Volunteers teach art classes for local children.

“These people are waking up,” said a 25-year-old creative and alumni leader at the university, known as the Soldier, at a recent meeting at the hall held at the Puerto Resistencia blockade. He knows he needs to be heard. ”

The unpopular tax reform sparked international protests since April 28. Despite the petition, a large group of students, corporate leaders, Indians and Afro-Colombians continued to flood the streets demanding social justice and police reform, as a result of reports of police brutality and high unemployment and poverty which has worsened the epidemic.

The strike committee, led by international trade unions, led a series of talks with the government on a list of applications that included international funding and a free training program. The talks, as well as the weekly protests, were temporarily suspended on June 15 after leaders criticized the government for delaying progress and refusing to take key negotiations.

Disappointed by the international talks, some areas are discussing local areas, where they expect their grievances to be heard directly by city officials.

“What needs to happen is a lot of regional and regional dialogue that affects neighboring committees that are spread across the country,” said Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, director of the Andes at the Washington Office in Latin America.

“They focus more on what is happening in their community and not on what is going on in the world. Every dialogue still needs regional and local dialogue,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Colombian democracy is at an all-time high, so every day, there are few opportunities for citizens to take the lead in their country,” said Elizabeth Dickinson, Colombia’s chief researcher at the International Crisis Group. “This is one of the most frequent cases that is possible.”

In just a few weeks, town hall meetings have grown in a number of cities, many of which are plagued by poverty, unemployment, and violence, while citizens are left to fend for themselves.

After a group of protesters pelted stones at a rocky outcrop in Bogota, Colombian protests have taken place since April 28, with some becoming more violent [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

Across the country, wealthy police officers who protested in their early protests urged many to take to the streets. Death toll rises: Human Rights Watch reports that 21 people died in protests, local NGO Temblores found 43 dead by police and the attorney general’s office confirmed the killings.

Many others joined in because of the economic crisis, which forced 3.5 million Colombians to live in poverty and sent unemployment rates up to 15%, starting in April.

But regions like Puerto Resistencia also face challenges that need to be addressed. Many citizens of Cali, the second-largest black city in Latin America, have been victims of deportation, and drug trafficking and weapons have lured many youths into a life of violence and aggression.

“The boycott committee that is ending the negotiations with the government does not concern us at all because we do not hear of his representation,” he said. “We will continue to refuse until our demands are met.”

At a recent town hall meeting in Puerto Resistencia, a group of about 80 met for hours. Throughout the night, people highlighted the urgent need in their community: the opportunity for good teaching and the values ​​that can make young people vulnerable. Speakers are also looking forward to the 2022 election of leaders and councils, with talks to launch a campaign for independent candidates and form a new party.

Children participate in a free technical class, offered by volunteers in Puerto Resistencia, Cali, Colombia [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

In Cali, where there are riots and police riots, communities have set up barriers and created independent points called “point of resistance”, where liberal youth, with their faces hidden and masks and bandanas, simply emerged as leaders.

Earlier this month, an initial agreement was reached between Cali Mayor Jorge Ospina and the Cali Union of Resistances, a group representing 26 “opposing points” in the city. Mayor Ospina has promised new ways to prevent the deaths of protesters and to support organizations at town rallies and cultural events – instead the protesters have promised to end 21 roadblocks.

Similar stories are happening all over the country.

The Colombian capital, Bogota, in early June provided a platform where civil society groups and dissidents who felt they were not represented by the boycott committee could lodge their grievances with the authorities.

“The boycott is not just for Colombia. They do not go to the places where we live. They don’t know what’s going on here, “said Laura, a 26-year-old political leader in Bogota, who did not give her last name for security reasons.

The boycott, a representative body of leading organizations, such as the Central Union of Workers and the Colombian Federation of Education Workers, has been criticized by some who say union leaders have taken a group led by ordinary people.

Police fired at protesters restored to public library in Puerto Resistencia in Cali, Colombia [Christina Noriega/Al Jazeera]

“She doesn’t listen to us,” Laura continued. “This is why we are strengthening our community and working together to get a list of what we want.”

However, reaching a consensus in the villages and finalizing the alliance with local authorities remains a challenge.

“When it comes to how to solve system problems, there will be big differences depending on what you want,” said Sanchez-Garzoli. “We are not talking about small things here. We are talking about people who are at risk of experiencing a lot of safety and relief problems as a result of the epidemic. ”

Mr Benkos, a 26-year-old Puerto Resistencia leader who fled his homeland in the disputed Nariño region seven months ago, said he wanted to see better educational opportunities. In particular, he may want the government to help him get a high school diploma after leaving the seventh grade to support his family financially.

But after weeks of fighting for police in Puerto Resistencia, he said he had seen many deaths and hoped the talks would bring about the change he wanted.

“We can’t hit them with stones,” Benkos said. “We must win democracy and unity.”