Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja hopes for peace in Colombia amid unrest

Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja urged for peace and patience after weeks of conflict between police and civilians in his home country of Colombia.

“It’s a very tender moment in my country,” Pareja said.

At least 37 people have died in the past two weeks in Colombia as riot police and soldiers crack down on protests in the capital of Bogotá, Cali and other cities across the country. Demonstrations originally started on April 28 in response to an unpopular tax reform, but they’ve since spiraled into widespread rage over issues such as poverty and human rights abuses exacerbated by the pandemic.

According to a statement from the human rights office of the United Nations, police opened fire on demonstrators with semiautomatic weapons and rifles on Monday.

Protestors have not backed down in the face of this crackdown, with protests and skirmishes continuing every night. Several groups have been reported to fire at police from the windows of buildings and burn down police outposts with officers still inside.

More than 800 people have been injured in the clashes while at least 80 have been reported missing.

Pareja grew up in Medellín, Colombia and played for the Colombian national team from 1991 to 1996. He moved to the United States in 1998, when he briefly played for the New England Revolution before being traded to FC Dallas.

Orlando City midfielder Andrés Perea was also raised in Medellín from the age of 5 until he joined the Lions as a 19-year-old last season. Perea’s parents and siblings still live in Medellín, and he shared similar concern for his country on Twitter on Thursday.

Pareja said it’s been difficult to watch violence continue in his country from afar, saying he’s sent messages of hope and support to his friends and family in Colombia.

“I just have the opportunity ... to send the message to our people and ask them [to have] a lot of confidence in God that things will get better,” Pareja said. “But at the same times we have to be patient and not [get] so desperate and just take our frustrations towards other people or institutions. I think that will damage not just our image but most important that will damage ourselves.”

“So from my seat and our place here, we are just elevating our prayers to our country that we love this much. We’re always wishing the best for our people. Just asking God to bless us in this difficult moment.”

Jordan Bender loaned to USL Championship side

Orlando City sent homegrown midfielder Jordan Bender on loan to the Charlotte Independence, a team located in North Carolina that competes in the USL Championship. The loan will last for the full season, although the Lions hold the right to recall.

“Jordan is a young player that has shown us a lot of potential and that we can see a bright future for in our club,” executive vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi said. “We’re sending him to a club and a coaching staff that we know well, one that is close to us and a place where he’ll get valuable game minutes to further his development. This is a situation that works out well for everyone involved and we’ll be eagerly watching Jordan’s progress over this period.”

In previous seasons, Orlando City sent first-year homegrown signings and MLS draft picks to play for Orlando City B. The B team provided flexibility, offering players like Bender, Joey DeZart and Mason Stajduhar full game minutes which prepared them to compete at the MLS level.

However, the Lions are operating without a traditional Orlando City B team playing in a competitive league. This caused challenged for Pareja and his staff, which aim

Pareja used the preseason to log minutes for the team’s youngest players and loans such as Bender’s will help the team continue that development. But the coach said he believes young players like David Loera will be ready for first team minutes with the Lions by the end of the season.

“I always think that development is not play the kids just to let them play,” Pareja said. “I think it’s much deeper than that. I think we have to train them first, let them get used to the rhythm. ... I hope that we can have these guys coming into the field as soon as possible but they have the whole year to give them that opportunity.”

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Julia Poe at jpoe@orlandosentinel.com.