Protests against the government in Colombia have so far killed 42 people since the end of April, the national Ombudsman reported on Tuesday.

All but one of the victims were civilians, and the other victim was a soldier.

The Colombian Ministry of Defense has said that 849 police officers have been injured in the protests so far. The number of injured civilians has not been updated since May 3 and has remained at 306.

President Iván Duque says police have complied with the constitution, and violations of the law are under investigation. On Monday, the police announced that five officers had been suspended, and 62 are still under investigation.

The protests were directly caused by a proposal for a tax law, which has since been removed from the table. The government is going to make a new proposal that can count on more support.

According to Duque, a tax increase is needed to tackle the economic consequences of the corona pandemic. Unions argue that the poorest people are disproportionately affected by the tax plans.