"Following the death of Javier Ordóñez after the intervention of police officers, the ensuing violence has resulted in further tragic deaths and numerous wounded, mainly young people in Colombia. Our thought are with their families.
The right to peaceful protest is essential to any democracy and begins with an unambiguous rejection of any act of vandalism and violence intended to generate fear and disorder.
All excessive use of violence, by those that are responsible for protecting citizens, must be thoroughly and promptly investigated, the perpetrators brought to justice and institutional measures taken to avoid any repetition in line with the Colombian constitution and international standards.
We support the calls for all actors to maintain peace and calm and build trust to avoid any further escalation."
