Colombia’s social organizations and labor unions announce national strike in November
Some 1,500 representatives of social organizations and labor unions agreed to begin organizing an anti-government national strike that should take place throughout Colombia either on November 11 or on November 20.
The organizations agreed to the mass mobilization during the National Gathering for the Defense of Life, Dignity, Democracy, Peace, Sovereignty, and Social Reforms that had been organized by labor unions in the capital Bogota.
The first and fundamental decision of the Meeting is to declare the most radical opposition to the illegitimate government of Abelardo de la Espriella because of the course it has imposed on the country—one of subordination to the interests of U.S. imperialism and alignment with the agenda of the international far right—which constitutes a direct threat to national sovereignty, democracy, and the rights won by the Colombian people, and an undeniable shift toward fascism.
Social organizations and labor unions
In a statement, the organizations said that the national strike will be preceded by regional protests on October 10 and 14 that will seek to generate momentum for the national strike.
Indigenous organizations will additionally organize a Day of Indigenous, Afro and Popular Resistance on October 12.
A final date for the national strike has yet to be defined.
The organizations decided to call a strike to protest the government’s security and defense policy, the ending of peace processes with illegal armed groups and in defense of social reforms that had been implemented by former President Gustavo Petro.
The protests additionally seek to express solidarity with the people of Palestine, western Sahara, Iran, Bolivia and Venezuela, and reject US imperialism in the Americas.
We must categorically reject the interference of U.S. government officials in the formulation of domestic policies under the guise of so-called friendly aid, which in reality masks the ambition to intensify overexploitation, extractivism, territorial control, and the presence of foreign troops on our soil.
Social organizations and labor unions
The organizations agreed to “prepare, through the most intense and massive agitation and propaganda campaign, a national strike.”