|
|
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, December 2008 - January 2009
World in View
Colombia: challenges to Uribe
Tens of thousands of Colombians--sugar cane cutters (Los Corteros), Indigenous groups (Paez, Guambiana and Embra-Chami among others), judicial workers and other trade unionists, masses of students in Cali and Bogota, as well as womenÕs groups--made September, October and November months of challenge to the militaristic government of Alvaro Uribe.
As Raul Zibechi put it, "Social conflict has overtaken the center of the political stage, displacing President Alvaro Uribe, who merely repeats the script that brought him so much success in the war: the Indians, sugarcane workers, teachers, government workers, truckers, and anyone else who protests and mobilizes is being manipulated by the FARC guerrillas."
The Bush administration has chosen to stand by its "friend" in Colombia despite assassinations as well as horrendous Colombian military kidnapping and murder of innocent youths, who are then clothed in guerrilla dress and proclaimed to be killed terrorists.
In early September over 10,000 cane cutters, almost all Afro-Colombians, began a strike in the Valle del Cauca. The corteros often do not earn the minimum wage and end up receiving about $5 for a 12 (or more) hour workday, seven days a week with no paid holidays or vacation days. They demanded wages for days lost due to mill shut-downs, for time getting medical treatment because of accidents at work, and fair scales for weighing their work. Tens of thousands of judicial workers also walked out on strike.
Facing deep racism, dismissal of their human rights and culture, robbery of their lands, (some 400,000 Indigenous Colombians are landless), tens of thousands have participated in a series of marches and protests after assassinations of 15 Indigenous activists.
Facing further repression against their protests, they organized the National Minga of Indigenous Resistance. (Minga is a rich Indigenous term signifying union, solidarity, meeting, collective communal work, reciprocity.) Their demands include: respect for human rights; canceling laws which are breaking up their territorial integrity, work and culture; cessation of violence against their leaders; challenging any implementation of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the U.S. Thousands of Indigenous and their supporters began marching toward Cali demanding a meeting with Uribe and government officials.
The Indigenous protesters arrived in Cali 40,000 strong and were met by thousands of students of the Universidad del Valle. Uribe first proclaimed he would meet with them, but then refused, citing security concerns.
The Bush Administration, undeterred by the protests, continued to push the U.S. Congress to pass the free trade agreement with Colombia. That action now appears to be on hold until the new Congress and administration take office. It remains to be seen whether the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration will stop the trade agreement and demand labor and human rights guarantees.
--Eugene Walker
|
