Corruption, economic woes spark deadly protests in Colombia

Deep social discontent that has festered throughout the coronavirus pandemic is driving thousands of Colombians into the streets to protest, and some of the demonstrations have turned deadly

BUCARAMANGA, Colombia -- Kevin Anthony Agudelo wanted to live in a country where corruption was not part of everyday life. That dream motivated the electrician to join thousands of Colombians in a series of demonstrations against the government since last week. He never returned home from his third protest. Sobbing beside her 22-year-old son’s coffin at a funeral home, Ángela Jiménez blamed Agudelo’s shooting death on the same government he had hoped to change. “It was like three protests. This was the last, and it was peaceful,” Jiménez told The Associated Press on Thursday. “He told me that he was going to fight for the rights of Colombia, but he did not have bad things in mind because I didn’t teach him that. My son said he wanted a better country, without so much corruption. ”