UNITED NATIONS, Jan 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is shocked by the reported deaths in protests in Peru, said his spokesman.
“The secretary-general is following with concern the situation in Peru and is deeply shocked by the number of deaths reported in the context of the protests that we have seen,” said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman.
“He urges the authorities to ensure respect for human rights and to ensure that a diligent, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation is carried out into the allegations of excessive use of force and human rights violations,” said the spokesman.
The secretary-general underscores that demonstrations must be carried out in a peaceful manner, respecting life and public and private property, Dujarric told a daily press briefing.
The protests were sparked after the former President, Pedro Castillo, attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, which many viewed as unconstitutional.
Castillo was subsequently arrested and replaced by the Vice President, prompting his supporters to take to the streets.
Clashes involving police and armed forces have left some 40 people dead, and 518 injured.
Citing official reports, OHCHR said a least 17 people, including a minor, were killed on Monday in Juliaca, in the southern region of Puno, while a police officer was killed on Tuesday after his vehicle was set ablaze.
Meanwhile, the UN top envoy for COLOMBIA, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, said that success in the Colombian peace process depends on the government’s efforts to curb violence.
“There is a fundamental reality that has to be acknowledged. The lasting success of the Colombian peace agreement, which we all wish to see, is contingent on the ability of the Colombian authorities to address the persistent violence that poses its greatest threat,” he told the Security Council in a quarterly briefing.
The government is making an admirable effort to do so, in part, through differentiated dialogues with the illegal armed groups aimed at ending the violence. If these dialogues are successful, this would greatly contribute to generating the security conditions necessary for the different provisions of the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to materialize, said Massieu, the UN secretary-general’s special representative and head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia.
“The effective implementation of the (2016) agreement in itself would bring about the transformations required for lasting peace to take root,” he said.
While pressing forward with the implementation of the 2016 agreement, government engagement with illegal armed actors has continued in the framework of its “total peace” policy, said Massieu.
Last month the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) concluded the first round of peace dialogues in Venezuela amid a constructive environment. They plan to hold a new round in Mexico in the coming weeks. The parties’ decision to reinitiate discussions is widely supported in Colombian society and is valued especially by communities affected by the conflict in several regions, he said.
The New Year began with a hopeful announcement by Colombia President Gustavo Petro of six-month cease-fires with several illegal armed actors operating in various areas across the country, he said. “If carefully designed and carried out with commitment, these de-escalation measures agreed with armed groups can help to significantly reduce violence and suffering of conflict-affected communities while building trust in ongoing dialogues.”
The Security Council’s decision on Wednesday to authorize the expansion of the UN Verification Mission’s mandate to include the 2016 agreement’s comprehensive rural reform and the ethnic chapters in its verification tasks will enable the mission to increase its contribution to peace in Colombia, said Massieu.
“There are plentiful opportunities ahead for peacebuilding in Colombia. The role of the United Nations and the solid support of this (Security) Council remain as important as ever,” he said. — NNN-XINHUA
