Who Was Brandon Cely Páez?

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A Colombian soldier committed suicide after being pressured by his superiors for saying that he supported the protests against the Government.

Brandon Cely Páez, 21, said in a video he recorded announcing his suicide, that he was pointed out within his unit as sympathetic to leftist thinking and that his superiors wanted to take him to military criminal justice.

"They left me no choice, but to record this video to protect and support the students. I invite everyone to fight, fight for our education … And since I am a soldier and I cannot mention this, I have decided to end my life to avoid inconveniences to my family and loved ones, "he said in a clip that was posted on social media.

Before killing himself, Cely Páez clarified that he was not from "left or right, but from the people" and invited his classmates not to raise their weapons against citizens.

On Tuesday, after watching the video, the Colombian army issued a statement in which it reported that the death of the soldier is being investigated.

Several Colombian celebrities have raised their voices to raise awareness about the national unemployment that is taking place. J Balvin mourned Brandon's death with a social media post.

On Saturday, another young Colombian man, 18-year-old Dilan Cruz, was seriously injured while participating in a peaceful protest in downtown Bogotá, which was dispersed with tear gas by police squad officers.

Cruz, who had become a national symbol of the marches, died on Monday. On Tuesday night several marches were held in his memory in different parts of Bogotá.

In the framework of the protests, four people died, including Dilan Cruz, while 177 civilians were wounded along with more than 300 police officers.

The protests take place in different regions of the country and in several cities around the world where Colombians live in demand for government proposals, such as the reform of the minimum wage for young workers, the modification of the pension system and against the assassinations of social leaders, among others.