Duque promises social reforms as three dead in Colombia protestsPeople take part in a pot-banging protest in Cali on November 22, 2019, a day after a nationwide strike by students, unions and indigenous groups against the government of Colombia President Ivan DuqueBOGOTA - Colombian President Ivan Duque on Friday promised a "national conversation" on social policies, one day after massive demonstrations against his right-wing government left three dead and dozens wounded. "This conversation will take place regionally with all the social and political sectors. There were arrests and clashes as trade unions, students, opposition parties and the South American country's indigenous organizations vented their anger. The three deaths had taken place during protests Thursday in the western Valle del Cauca department, Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told reporters. The protests come amid social upheaval across South America, as a wave of unrest over the past two months has battered governments in Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.

Source: Bangkok Post November 23, 2019 01:48 UTC