Within the framework of the demonstrations last week, there were riots near the National University in which policeman Jhon Fredy Rodríguez Sandoval was seriously injured.
“I expressly and publicly request the director of the National Police, in agreement with the University Rector’s Office, to enter and arrest these criminals who have already attempted the life of a police officer and if they are allowed to continue acting with impunity they can attack more citizens or police officers,” said Mayor Claudia López.
The surprise request aroused conflicting opinions in the Bogotá Council on account of whether the request was correct or threatened university autonomy.
In disagreement
Councilor Diego Cancino, from the Alianza Verde party, Claudia López’s political house, asserted that the mayor’s request was intended to “unleash a massacre.” “If it is not for the good sense of the director of the Police, who refused to violate DD. HH., we probably would have had a massacre in Unal. Mayor Claudia López, do not put more lives at risk ”, he maintained.
The councilor and candidate Luis Carlos Leal affirmed that the public force still has practices of abuse of power and systematic mistreatment of the civilian population. “Requesting the entry of the public force into the National University is requesting an attack on the citizenry. She already experienced a massacre in 2021, then she apologized with tears, I hope they were not false, “he said.
On the other hand, councilman Armando Gutiérrez indicated that university cloisters cannot be allowed to become theaters of war. “The entry of the public force into educational centers would bring dire consequences for the student community,” said the councilor.
Similarly, councilor Marisol Gómez maintained that “fortunately the commander of the National Police, General Salamanca, called for serenity and that avoided the risk of a scenario of uncertainty.”
Councilor José Cuesta warned that Claudia López’s request to the rector of the National University regarding granting permission for the entry of public forces is unconstitutional.
“If there is something to value in the legal principles that prevail in Colombia, it is the figure of university autonomy. No armed institution may be allowed to enter, not even the Military Forces. If it had been allowed, we were surely experiencing a new massacre similar to that of September 9, 2021, ”he said.
For his part, councilor Celio Nieves, from the Alternative Democratic Pole, said that López’s request is worrisome.
“The proposal cannot be to request the Police to enter the National University or any institution, whether public or private. Before launching this irresponsible proposal, the university establishment and the educational community of the University must be summoned. Calling for the public force to enter a university is to enlarge the problem ”, he affirmed.
Likewise, the councilor and candidate for mayor Carlos Carrillo pointed out that it is important to clarify what exactly happened, since in the video broadcast through social networks, according to what he affirms, it is not clear where the device that injured came from. to the policeman.
“The statements of the mayoress are unaware that in general terms Esmad’s interventions on campus have been disastrous, that has never given good results. I condemn the political opportunism of Claudia López ”, she asserted.
Similarly, councilor Heidy Sánchez, another candidate for the Liévano Palace, affirmed that university autonomy must be respected and supported the response of the rector of the National University.
On the other hand, councilman Álvaro Acevedo argued that the measure proposed by López was not convenient to guarantee the safety of the students of the National University. “It has not been identified who is committing illegal conduct at that time, the entry of the authority to the campus could generate measures against innocent students and professors,” he said.
Mayor Claudia López asserted that the attack was perpetrated by criminals infiltrated in the marches belonging to the “Bolivarian Movement.”
Before the declarations, the councilman Manuel Sarmiento warned that these stigmatize the demands and the democratic fight of the university students. “This is absurd, truly undemocratic, but they justify everything due to the childish actions of a group of people who resort to violent acts and who end up delegitimizing the protest,” he asserted.
Another of the lobbyists who disagreed with the mayoress’s request was Ati Quigua, vice president of the Council, who stated that it is inadmissible for the mayoress Claudia López to try to go over the principle of university autonomy that educational institutions have superior.
Finally, councilor Ana Teresa Bernal indicated that she does not share the mayor’s request and pointed out that this generates an escalation of the situation of confrontation and violence.
“If there is no Esmad, they have no one to fight against, they have no way to move forward in situations of violence and they must use the dialogue mechanisms of coexistence managers to the extent possible,” he explained.
in agreement
The president of the Council, Edward Arias, maintained that the city is currently in a very strong mess regarding the issue of security.
“You have to show character and show that security is at the head of the mayoress, who is the one who should take action on the matter and the necessary measures to ensure the safety of the people,” he said.
For her part, councilor and mayoral candidate Lucía Bastidas asserted that throughout the year she has denounced what infiltrators are doing at the District University, the National University and the Pedagogical University.
“They are not students, they are terrorists. The day of what happened I was in front of the National for more than two hours, they evacuated all the students and the terrorists stayed, so I asked that the police come in to prosecute and capture these terrorists who are being financed by the Farc and the ELN,” he said.
Likewise, the councilor of the Green Party Libardo Asprilla supported the mayor’s request, stating that those responsible for the act were criminals, not students. “The authority must make them appear so that they answer to justice for their criminal acts,” he said.
Similarly, councilor Samir Abisambra maintained that the police have to enter when there are violent protests. “It is their obligation to go in and capture all these thugs,” he said.
Councilor Humberto Rafael Amín indicated that there is no other way to achieve calm in the city if it is not through the support of the public force. “It is necessary to take drastic measures so that these criminals, who have used the facilities of the university campus as a trench to intimidate citizens and carry out terrorist acts, stop sowing panic whenever they feel like it,” he said.
On the other hand, councilor Jorge Colmenares asserted that the authorities cannot have spaces banned to provide security. “Public forces must have access to be able to act. The academy cannot become a refuge for criminals, ”he maintained.
Likewise, councilor Samuel Arrieta agreed with the mayoress, stating that he defends the protest when it does not violate the right to life, private property, tranquility and peace of Colombians.
Councilor Óscar Martínez indicated that what happened transcends university autonomy, which must be respected, since it has nothing to do with the academic and social life of the university.
“We reject these acts of terrorism and we support any initiative that leads to bringing security and tranquility to the inhabitants of Bogotá,” he said.
In the same way, councilor Javier Ospina maintained: “In these fields of knowledge, citizen awareness must be built and not, potato bombs. The mayoress must use the legal mechanisms as the first authority and exercise control in the capital, ”he indicated.
Likewise, councilor Diana Diago maintained that there cannot be territories that are off-limits to the public force. “The university areas are respected, but if they have been taken over by urban guerrilla and criminal cells, they must be dismantled wherever they are,” she said.
Councilor Juan Felipe Grillo maintained that it was a wise decision on the part of the mayoress mayoress. “No one is above the law, these acts of vandalism must have consequences and the weight of the law falls on those who commit them,” he said.
Similarly, councilor Emel Rojas stated that he agreed with López. “I endorse this instruction from the mayor and I am concerned that now the police commander is going to say that the sensible thing to do is not to contain, not to persecute and not to act against crime,” he said.
For his part, councilman Rolando González maintained that “university autonomy cannot be an excuse to hide criminals, much less, groups presumably led by dissidents from the ELN and the Farc.
Finally, councilman Diego Laserna stated that the authorities must enter any place where a crime is committed. However, he pointed out that it is not only the protesters who are violent. “There must be sanctions for police officers who commit abuses of force, in that there is also practically total impunity,” he concluded.