Colombia must hold dialogue, punish police abuse, rights panel says

FILE PHOTO: Human Rights workers react as police detain a demonstrator during clashes as anti-government protests take place in Bogota, Colombia, June 29, 2021. REUTERS/Nathalia Angarita/File Photo

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government must hold genuine dialogue with civil society and ensure punishment for security force members who have committed abuses, after violence at weeks of antigovernment protests led to at least 27 deaths, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) said on Wednesday.

The largely peaceful protests, which began on April 28, initially attracted thousands of marchers and occasionally turned violent.