In 2021, Colombia experienced one of the most significant protest movements in its recent history: the Social Uprising. What began as a protest against tax reform turned into broader discontent over inequality, state repression and structural injustices. In this context, the figure of Sergio Pastor\u2014also known as \u201c19\u201d\u2014emerged as the leader of the Primera L\u00ednea (the \u201cFirst Line\u201d), a group of young people who stand at the forefront during demonstrations.<\/p>\n
Today, after spending more than three years in prison, \u201c19\u201d remains a symbol of resistance, sacrifice and hope for those fighting for social change.<\/p>\n
What is the Social Uprising about?<\/strong><\/p>\n On 28 April 2021, Colombians took to the streets to protest against a tax reform proposed by the government of Iv\u00e1n Duque, who served as president from 2018 to 2022. The reform aimed to increase taxes amid an economic crisis aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The discontent quickly spread to deeper issues such as inequality, unemployment, poverty and police brutality.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not vandals; we are protecting our dignity and those who are peacefully protesting.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The government responded with violent repression. As a result, around ten young people were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arbitrarily arrested, according to human rights organisations. Amidst this crisis, a group of young people, armed with improvised shields and driven by a strong community spirit, emerged as the \u201cPrimera L\u00ednea\u201d and confronted the police to protect the demonstrators.<\/p>\n This led \u201c19\u201d to emerge as a leader. \u201cWe are not vandals; we are protecting our dignity and those who are peacefully protesting,\u201d he said repeatedly.<\/p>\n Ready to face death<\/strong><\/p>\n On 28 July 2021, after weeks of persecution, \u201c19\u201d was arrested during a police operation. He stated that, a month earlier, a friend working at the Office of the Attorney General had informed him that an arrest warrant had been issued for him on 14 June. However, \u201c19\u201d decided to stand firm:<\/p>\n \u201cI warned my comrades that true commitment to changing the system meant being ready to face death, exile, disappearance or imprisonment.\u201d<\/p>\n He was eventually arrested under irregular circumstances, according to him: \u201cThey didn’t arrest me with a paper warrant but with a document sent via WhatsApp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA senior police officer told me I could be let off if I informed on the others. I replied, \u2018A good captain saves their crew and goes down alone.\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c19\u201d claims that when he was imprisoned, the authorities were hostile toward him. He says he was intensely interrogated and offered the chance to negotiate his freedom in exchange for information about the Primera L\u00ednea:<\/p>\n \u201cA senior police officer told me I could be let off if I informed on the others. I replied, \u2018A good captain saves their crew and goes down alone.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He is currently being accused of torture and criminal conspiracy, accusations which he categorically denies. \u201cThere has never been any evidence and there never will be. We are being wrongfully accused because they fear the change we represent.\u201d<\/p>\n Challenges multiply as his health deteriorates<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2022, \u201c19\u201d suffered an even more painful setback when he fractured two cervical vertebrae, requiring surgery. However, according to him, the operation was carried out negligently and he was transferred to prison before having completely recovered.<\/p>\n In prison, he contracted a spinal infection that required two more operations, yet he still suffers from the after-effects. Today, \u201c19\u201d is paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this, his spirit remains unshakeable:<\/p>\n \u201cI know that my mind is strong enough that, at any moment, I will get back on my feet. These legs that don’t work now will one day work better than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n A message to President Petro<\/strong><\/p>\n When Gustavo Petro became president in 2022, many young people from the Primera L\u00ednea believed that justice would be done. Petro, Colombia\u2019s first left-wing president, had publicly declared during the protest in Cali, \u201cI too am part of the Primera L\u00ednea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are rotting in prison while the dreams and hopes of young people who fought for change fade away.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Confined in his cell, \u201c19\u201d questions the president\u2019s statement and sends him a direct message:<\/p>\n “If the president thinks he is a member of the Primera L\u00ednea, why are we\u2014the people who took to the streets\u2014still in prison? Why are we being wrongfully convicted? President Petro is in power thanks to the sacrifice of many young people and he knows it.”<\/p>\n \u201c19\u201d acknowledges that the government is under pressure but insists that political prisoners should not be treated as mere numbers:<\/p>\n \u201cWe are rotting in prison while the dreams and hopes of young people who fought for change fade away.\u201d<\/p>\n A message to the world<\/strong><\/p>\n From his prison cell, \u201c19\u201d addresses a message to not only Colombia but also Europe and the rest of the world:<\/p>\n \u201cWe must not lose hope. We fight for the same cause, even though we come from different nations.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n “I am addressing the peoples of Belgium, France, Germany, Ukraine and of all Europe; the peoples of Russia; all working-class people and oppressed nations: never stop resisting. Stay true to your dreams and ideals. Your freedom is in your hands. Only you can decide whether to live as a slave or to be truly free.”<\/p>\n He concludes with a call for brotherhood and hope: \u201cWe must not lose hope. We fight for the same cause, even though we come from different nations. Fight with all your heart, because change is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The legacy of resistance<\/strong><\/p>\n More than three years have passed since his arrest, yet \u201c19\u201d remains a symbol of the struggle for justice in Colombia. His story reflects not only his personal sacrifice but also the strength of a movement demanding greater justice and dignity.<\/p>\n Even though he is locked up, \u201c19\u201d continues not only to resist but also to inspire others not to give up the fight for meaningful change. His message of hope and conviction is a reminder of the power of collective resistance, even in the face of the most overwhelming adversity.<\/p>\n Post-edited translation by F\u00e9licia Gris\u00e9 (MA1 student in translation at ULB) under the supervision of Sonja Janssens<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 2021, Colombia experienced one of the largest social uprisings in its history. In this context, the figure of \u201c19\u201d emerged \u2014 leader of the \u201cFirst Line,\u201d a group of young people at the forefront of the protests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[119],"tags":[476,477,475,474],"coauthors":[327],"class_list":["post-3126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-censored","tag-476","tag-colombia","tag-first-line","tag-social-uprising"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3126"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3130,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3126\/revisions\/3130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3126"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medialatitudes.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=3126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}