Sri Lanka decrees a curfew in Colombo after the latest anti-government protests

The protesters agree to leave the official buildings occupied during the mobilizations

July 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Sri Lankan authorities announced this Thursday the imposition of a curfew starting at 12 noon (local time) in the district of Colombo, the most populous city and former capital of the country, amid the wave of demonstrations of recent days and after the flight of the country’s president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The Information Department of the Sri Lankan Government has indicated that the curfew will be in force between 12:00 and 5:00 on Friday, one day after the prime minister and now interim president, Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency on the island .

For their part, the protesters have decided to leave the official buildings they had occupied in recent days, including the official residences of the president and the prime minister, as reported by the Sri Lankan newspaper ‘Daily Mirror’.

Wickremesinghe was appointed interim president on Wednesday, hours after Rajapaksa left the country for the Maldives. Despite the fact that the president had promised to resign on July 13, he has not formalized the announcement so far.

After that, Wickremesinghe urged the country’s security forces to do what was necessary to “restore order” to end the “fascist threat” as a result of the strong wave of protests and confirmed the creation of a commission made up of three commanders of the Armed Forces and the Inspector General of the Police, who have given authorization to take the pertinent measures to stop the advance of the demonstrators.

Wickremesinghe has assured in recent days that he will resign once an inclusive government is formed after Rajapaksa’s resignation, although the protesters, who have been mobilizing for weeks to protest against the economic crisis and the worsening quality of life, have demanded that the first minister who also resigns. The interim president is expected to be elected no later than July 20 and pending elections, which should not be held later than March 2023.