COLOMBIA- Following the removal of Mayor of Bogota Gustavo Petro, tens of thousands of people in Colombia have been taking part in a demonstration in support of the sacked mayor.

Last Monday, Colombia's Inspector General, Alejandro Ordonez, announced that Mr Petro would have to leave office over the alleged mismanagement of the capital's rubbish collection service. He was also banned from holding public office for 15 years.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered that people expressed their displeasure at the Bolivar square in central Bogota, while the ousted mayor said he will appeal the ban and reverse the decision.

Mr Petro, a former left-wing rebel, said he had been the victim of a "right-wing coup" by the Inspector General's Office.

"Here we will define whether peace is possible or not, whether democracy is possible or not," Mr Petro told supporters on the square.

He was a member of the M-19 rebel group, which signed a peace agreement with the government and gave up its armed struggle in 1990.