President Ivan Duque, the target of unprecedented anti-government protests in Colombia, on Sunday opened a national dialogue aimed at assuaging popular anger. Duque, a conservative who is deeply unpopular 18 months after his election, “initiated the social dialogue” with mayors and other officials at 3:00 pm (2100 GMT), the presidency said in a statement. The president had proposed the talks on Friday in response to nationwide protests a day earlier that descended into violence, leaving three dead.
