Tools of Torture and Repression in South America Illustrative country examples of excessive use of force with chemical irritants Bolivia: The Bolivian Human Rights Ombudsperson’s Office has denounced the abusive use of tear gas by the Bolivian National Police. 62 On 25 September 2011, during the ‘Indigenous March’ – a peaceful assembly organised in August and September 2011 calling for respect for constitutionally-recognised rights – national police officers initiated an operation against the protesters when they were attending to their personal needs (washing clothes, preparing food, etc.), rather than protesting for their rights. During this operation, chemical irritants were used indiscriminately against men, women and children who posed no threat to others. On 30 July 2015, a student taking part in a strike was seriously wounded when struck on the head by a chemical irritant grenade. A police officer was subsequently charged and placed in preventive detention.63 Venezuela: There are credible reports of the excessive and indiscriminate use of tear gas to disperse and sometimes punish peaceful protesters in Venezuela.64 For example, on 21 April 2014, Diego Daniel Arcana García was reportedly hit in the face with a tear gas projectile after being deliberately targeted by a national police officer after taking photographs of a peaceful demonstration.65 Furthermore, it is reported that the Bolivarian National Guard fired tear gas at private residences after occupants sheltered student protesters ‘to protect them from the aggressions [of the public security forces]’.66 Colombia: Human rights organisations reported the excessive use of force used by the Colombian Mobile Riot Control Squadron – Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios (ESMAD) – against agricultural communities during a large strike in August 2013. 67 This included indiscriminately firing projectiles containing chemical irritants at homes, including when there were young children present and, on at least one occasion, when the residents were asleep. On 9 June 2015, Cristian Andrés Pulido suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a chemical irritant projectile while taking photographs of a student protest in Tolima University.68 62 Office of the Human Rights Ombudsperson of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Informe de la Defensoría del Pueblo del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia al Comité contra la Tortura y Otros Tratos o Penas Crueles, Inhumanos o Degradantes, en el Marco de su 50° Periodo de Sesiones, 22 April 2013, <http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCAT%2fIFN%2fB OL%2f12855&Lang=en> [accessed 31 May 2016], p. 17. 63 ‘Fiscal no descarta ampliar investigación en caso de Jhon,’ Los Tiempos, 15 August 2015, <http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20150815/fiscal-no-descarta-ampliarinvestigaci%C3%B3n-en-caso-de_312105_691158.html> [accessed 19 October 2015]. 64 Amnesty International, Venezuela: Human Rights at Risk amid Protests, 2014, p. 6. 65 COFAVIC, Sentencias de silencio: Informe situación de Derechos Humanos en Venezuela en contexto de protestas estudiantiles de febrero- mayo 2014, p. 165. 66 Ibid. p. 19. 67 Human Rights Monitoring Mission, Segundo Informe de la Misión de Verificación de Derechos Humanos en los Departamentos de Cundinamarca y Boyacá, 19 September 2013, <http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/doc/paro80.html> [accessed 31 May 2016]. 68 Simón Palacio, ‘Fuerza, Cristian,’ Semanario Voz, 19 june 2015, <http://www.semanariovoz.com/2015/06/19/fuerza-cristian/> [accessed 31 May 2016]. 19