New marches in Bogota as Colombia expels 60 Venezuelans

Thousands of people on Monday vented their anger about inequality and insecurity in the Colombian capital for the fifth day, ignoring President Ivan Duque's attempts to defuse the crisis.

Protesters filled Bogota's National Park, banging pots and waving flags. "We want to live, not only to survive," a young female demonstrator told City TV, Deutsche press agency (dpa) reported.

The rallies, in several parts of Bogota, were associated with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

On Thursday, more than 200,000 Colombians marched nationwide against economic reforms, a funding shortage for education, corruption and killings of community leaders by armed groups.

Some of the rallies escalated into clashes with police, looting and acts of vandalism.

The violence continued until Friday, followed by largely peaceful protests over the weekend and on Monday. Three people have been killed so far.

Hundreds of people on Monday gathered in front of a Bogota hospital that is treating an 18-year-old man who was in critical condition after being injured in clashes with police on Saturday.

About 100 people rallied in front of a police hospital, pointing out that hundreds of police officers had also been injured.

Colombia deported 60 Venezuelans who were believed to have fomented violence during the protests on Monday, police said.

Duque warned that his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro could send people to infiltrate the rallies and to spread chaos.

Protest organizers and witnesses, however, have claimed that police officers infiltrated the rallies to instigate violence.

Krueger Sarmiento said the activities of the expelled Venezuelans had sparked "outbreaks of xenophobia" that the government wanted to avoid.

With the violent protests, Colombia joined a wave of civil unrest in South America that has swept Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia.