Ten of thousands of protesters mark third national strike in Colombia

Members of a drums band perform during a protest as a national strike continues in Bogota, Colombia, December 4, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Colombians took to the streets and marked a third national strike with chants and dancing on Wednesday ahead of an additional dialogue between protest leaders and the government, piling more pressure on President Ivan Duque and his social and economic policies.

It was the latest demonstration in two weeks of protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of marchers and put pressure on Duque's proposed tax reform, which lowers duties on businesses.

Duque announced a "great national dialogue" on social issues, but government efforts to stop demonstrations have failed. The union-led National Strike Committee has stuck to demands for one-on-one talks and refused to call off protests.

The demonstrations, while largely peaceful, resulted in damage to dozens of public transport stations and curfews in the city of Cali and the capital Bogota.

The Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron, (ESMAD in Spanish) intervene groups of protesters to disperse them during a protest in Bogota, Colombia, November 23, 2019. /VCG Photo

Protesters have wide-ranging demands – including that the government do more to stop the murder of human rights activists; support former leftist rebels who demobilized under a peace deal; and dissolve the the Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron (ESMAD in Spanish), accused by marchers of using excessive force.

About 40,000 people had joined the Wednesday protest, the interior minister said in a news conference. Some public transit stations were closed as marchers blocked roads.

Protesters in Bogota gathered in central Bolivar Plaza. "It's a time for lots of sectors in our country to wake up. The poor are very poor and the rich have everything," said Silvia Torres, 38.

Torres brought her one-year-old daughter Amelia for her first march. Amelia's uncle Nicolas Ruiz, a 25-year-old construction worker, said he hopes it is her last. "I hope she doesn't have to protest."

Colombians take part in a protest against the government of the Colombian President Ivan Duque in Bogota, Colombia, November 23, 2019. /VCG Photo

Five have died in connection with the demonstrations, which started on November 21 and have occurred in tandem with protests in other Latin American countries.

The president of the Central Union of Workers (CUT) called for peaceful marches early on Wednesday.

The CUT, Colombia's largest union, and other committee members are expected to keep meeting with Duque's representatives on Thursday.

(With input from Reuters)