Protests and rioting broke out Wednesday night in Bogot谩, Colombia, over police brutality. Colombians there and here in South Florida see the latest incident, the death of Javier Ordo帽ez, as their country鈥檚 version of the murder of George Floyd.
Bystander video from early Wednesday morning in Bogot谩 captures two Colombian police officers repeatedly firing a taser point blank at Ordo帽ez. He pleads with them to stop as they pin him down on the dark street while residents shout at the cops to ease up.
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They were apparently arresting Ordo帽ez, a 46-year-old taxi driver and law student, for violating a curfew to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He died later at a hospital.
Ordo帽ez鈥檚 death was a tipping point for many Colombians as police brutality and killings increase across their country. At least 10 people were killed Wednesday night during anti-police protests and riots in Bogot谩. Mayor Claudia L贸pez decried the violence but promised police reform.
鈥淧olice abuse is absolutely unacceptable,鈥� L贸pez said in a video.
Many Colombian expats in South Florida have long warned that police abuse, and several recent assassinations of social activists, would provoke this kind of backlash.
鈥淵ou see this pattern of violence as a constant reality for Colombians," said Carlos Naranjo, a spokesman for the group Colombian Progressives in Miami.
"And then what happened in the United States with the uprisings and George Floyd. That echo came to Colombia. All of that is just bubbling up.鈥�
Colombian Progressives will hold a vigil for Ordo帽ez and other Colombian police victims at Bayfront Park in Miami Sunday morning.
