Colombians protest in Madrid ahead of President Duque's visit

Record ID: 1636315

  • Title: Colombians protest in Madrid ahead of President Duque's visit
  • Date: 12th September 2021
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 12, 2021) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS MARCHING WHILE HOLDING SIGN READING (Spanish) “Colombia fight for peace and your life.” PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGN READING (Spanish) “They are killing us.” PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (Spanish) “Stay strong SOS Colombia.” PROTESTER WITH MICROPHONE CHANTING (Spanish) "He will fall, Ivan Duque will fall. He will fall, he will fall, Ivan Duque will fall" PROTESTER WITH SIGN READING (Spanish) “Duque, the cross they give you is the cross for all those killed in Colombia.” PROTESTER WITH SIGN READING (Spanish) “Protesting costs our life, SOS Colombia.” (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COLOMBIAN WOMAN,WHO DID NOT WANT TO GIVE HER NAME, THAT HAS LIVED IN SPAIN FOR 23 YEARS, SAYING: “It’s horrible because they don’t know the story in depth. Because this is a genocidal government. Because right now they are killing the young in Colombia. The bodies are found in the rivers, dead with their eyes out. It’s horrible what is happening in Colombia." (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE ANTONIO FRANCO, WHO HAS LIVED IN SPAIN FOR 12 YEARS, SAYING: “We are protesting against the visit that the President of Colombia Ivan Duque will be doing to Madrid Book Fair as a guest of honour.” (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) GABRIELA MENDOZA, 18, WHO WAS BORN IN SPAIN BUT ALL HER FAMILY IS FROM COLOMBIA, SAYING: “I don’t think it’s the correct thing to do if I say the truth as there are many good authors. It seems that the government agrees with our president and it shouldn’t. He is not a good president and he is destroying it, it has a huge wealth and many other good things like its people, and that the government has invited him painfully.” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING (Spanish) “Peace, Justice now” GROUP OF PROTESTERS AND SIGN READING “SOS Colombia.” WOMAN HOLDING SIGN READING (Spanish) “Duque Oligarch and Colombians oppressed.” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN DEMO WITH BANNERS AND COLOMBIAN FLAGS PEOPLE IN DEMO WALKING PAST CIBELES STATUE IN CENTRAL MADRID
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2021 13:15
  • Keywords: Colombia Ivan Duque Madrid Spain protests
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EUEZ29Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Hundreds of Colombians living in Madrid protested on Sunday (September 12) against the upcoming visit of Colombia’s President Duque to the Spanish capital.
    Duque will visit Spain next week and will be received by Spain’s King Felipe VI and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
    Tuesday’s cabinet meeting plans to approve the awarding of the Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic to Duque.
    "It’s horrible because they don’t know the story in depth. Because this is a genocidal government," said a Colombian protester on behalf of Duque's condecoration.
    Colombia’s president will also attend the Madrid Book Fair, where Colombia is the guest country.
    "It seems that the government agrees with our president and it shouldn’t. He is not a good president and he is destroying it," said 18-year-old protester Gabriela Mendoza.
    Some writers and artists have complained about an alleged veto of anti-government writers at the fair.
    Colombians are the largest group of Latin American immigrants in Spain where 63,762 are registered. Many fear for their families and loved ones back home.
    (Production: Michael Gore, Elena Rodriguez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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