2024-08-20 19:27:31
Police in Cali are involved in a scandal due to their racist response to a young African-descendant.
An incident that could have been resolved as a routine police procedure has unleashed a wave of indignation in Colombia, after the release of a video showing a police officer in Cali making racist comments towards a young Afro-descendant. The incident occurred in the capital of the department of Valle del Cauca, and quickly went viral on social media, generating strong criticism and calls for sanctions against the officials involved.
The incident began when an Afro-Colombian citizen, concerned about the safety of his community, alerted two police officers about a robbery that was taking place nearby. However, what should have been a civic act turned into a tense and discriminatory situation. According to the audiovisual recording, recorded by a person whose face does not appear on camera, the officers mistakenly assumed that the complainant was actually the perpetrator of the crime.
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Reported a theft
The young man approached the officers and told them about a theft that had just occurred, but the police officers asked for his documents. Despite the citizen’s attempts to clarify the situation, one of the police officers, without taking his eyes off his phone, insisted that the young man was changing his story.
Tensions escalated when the young man, visibly upset by the unfounded accusation, demanded the return of his identification, which the police had previously requested. At that point, one of the officers responded in a blunt and racist manner: “So we don’t trust black people.” This comment, loaded with racial prejudice, was followed by an unfounded criticism of the young man, suggesting that he should have intervened in the crime to prevent it.
‘He’s being racist’
The Afro-descendant citizen did not let the comment go and responded by reminding the police officer of Article 33 of Law 70 of 1993, which stipulates that the “State will punish and prevent all acts of intimidation, segregation, discrimination or racism against black communities.” Visibly affected, the young man concluded: “You are being racist,” and demanded the officer’s identification.
The video of the incident has caused a stir on social media, where users have expressed their outrage and demanded disciplinary action against the police officers involved. In the discussions, studies have been recalled, such as one from 2013, which show the existence of an “ethnic bias” in police procedures in Colombia. “We are still dragging a problem that has been around for many decades,” wrote one Internet user, highlighting the persistence of racism in the security forces.
Structural problem
Other users have directed their criticism directly at the director of the National Police, William Salamanca, urging him to address and correct these unacceptable behaviours within the institution. “Racism in the Police has not yet changed,” wrote another user, expressing a concern shared by many about the need for deep reforms in police practices in the country.
The incident has reopened the debate on systemic racism in Colombia and the urgency of implementing effective policies to eradicate it, especially in institutions responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of all citizens, regardless of their skin color.
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