Colombia Deploys Troops to Streets of Bogota
After violent protests which left two dead, Colombia’s president has deployed troops in Bogota to maintain order. The unrest followed protests by farmers demanding the government ease local impacts of foreign trade.
Military personnel joined Bogota police force in patroling streets of the capital city on Friday after violent clashes with protesters on Thursday night. President Juan Manual Santos handed down the order, which included the deployment of up to 50,000 troops allotted for Bogota and the country’s highways.
“Yesterday I ordered the militarization of Bogota and I will do the same in any region or zone where the presence of soldiers is necessary,” Santos said early Friday.
“There is no protest, as fair as it may be, that justifies loss of life,” President Santos said. “We won’t let these vandals get away with this … Patience has run out.”