Colombia’s class war turns hot on the streets of Cali

Poor and indigenous protesters have been met with deadly force by armed civilians and police representing interests of the wealthy

A convoy of brightly painted buses descended from Colombia's westernmost mountain range, heading for the city of Cali, where tens of thousands had taken to the streets demanding a shake-up of the country's deeply unequal status quo.

Along the way, well-wishers cheered on the caravan and drivers honked in approval. But as the procession approached Cali's prosperous southern reaches, it reached a roadblock set up by men in civilian clothing, believed to be from wealthy neighbourhoods nearby. Then the shooting started.