BOGOTA, January 22. /TASS/. Russia did not mastermind mass protests in Colombia at the end of 2019, Russia’s Ambassador to Bogota Sergei Koshkin said on Wednesday.

"Absolutely, I can assure you of that. I am unaware how the idea came up that Russia has showed interest in destabilization on the continent and in the country," the ambassador said in an interview with the La FM radio station, when asked by the host to confirm that Moscow had nothing to do with the organization of protests.

The ambassador emphasized that Latin America is not "a zone of ideological and political battles" for Russia.

"On the contrary, we are interested in the [Latin American] countries to be stable and economically strong," he pointed out.

On November 21, 2019, Colombia was gripped with protests against the government’s social and economic policies. According to Colombia's Interior Ministry, over 207,000 people took part in protests across the country. In some cities, peaceful demonstrations turned into clashes with police. Security forces used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets. The authorities of several settlements imposed curfews. In the clashes, four people were killed and 273 more were wounded.

In the wake of the protests, Colombia’s President Ivan Duque announced readiness for a nationwide dialogue seeking solutions to the country’s social problems. In late December, Colombia’s Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez accused Russia and Venezuela of masterminding the protests.