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'Cane cutters: Slaves no more'Cali, Colombia--The European invasion in 1492 brought slavery to the American continent as a mode of production while exploiting our natural resources and our indigenous and African ancestors. The modern day oligarchy that holds power in Colombia can be traced directly back to those invaders. The oligarchy today holds all the power and property in the Cauca river valley, where the genocidal displacement of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s took place--and where, as always, the slaves who convert cane into sugar are brutally suppressed. Dozens of small towns were destroyed by the military and paramilitary militias, directed by then-Colonel Gustavo Rojas Pinilla under orders given by the big landowners. These barbarous acts were passed off as "partisan skirmishes," but the true purpose was to convert the Cauca river valley into a green desert of monoculture sugarcane cultivation. We Colombians subsidize this sugar for export at the cost of up to 500% of the international value. Some of it is destined for use as biofuel, which is peaking because of the oil crisis. WORKING BUT NOT SURVIVING More than 12,000 sugarcane workers live in the Cauca River valley, exploited by the monopolists of ASOCAŅA (Association of Colombian Sugarcane Cultivators). The workers lack the bare minimum that a family needs to survive: stable work, fair pay, no labor contractors, social guarantees for the workers and their families (health, housing, education), a fair price for the fair weight of cut cane, investment in social development of the communities located close to the refineries. These persistent conditions have driven the workers to strike on many occasions. While this constant struggle shows the strength of the agricultural-industrial proletariat, it calls into question the practices of the union bosses. They are either submissive in the face of attacks by the bosses and the State, or isolated from the struggle of other social movements. This has driven them on many occasions to side with the boss, against their class allies. The neoliberal State has successfully carried out its mission against the workers and the Colombian people, dismantling labor laws and social security and retaliating against the social movements and popular struggles. They've institutionalized outsourcing and loose labor laws through the poorly-named "Associated Worker Cooperatives," hiring agencies, union contracts, and piecework. They have extended the working day to more than 12 hours. Until very recently, workers were paid with vouchers they could only use at the company stores owned by these tyrants, just as the North American imperialists did on the banana plantations in the last century. These are the elements that perpetuate the implementation of modern-day slavery here in Colombia. SERVING MANY MASTERS If there is any difference from the slavery of old, it's that the modern slave doesn't rely on one master to exploit him and house him in a little hut. This can't be considered as paid or indentured slavery, because the cane cutters don't even earn the legal minimum wage; they are exploited by their many masters without adequate compensation until they die--one day they'll be hired to work a job, and the next not finding work to be able to provide for their families. The workers' struggle for life and freedom can't stay in the dark forever, especially when its power reaches out beyond the limits of the refinery, factory, or office. The mobilizations and solidarity can be seen and heard in the streets. The workers' wives--who are as brave and dedicated to the struggle as their husbands--and families march in peaceful protest to the cheers and support of the urban populations. This brings to mind the demonstrations of Oct. 1, 2008, when more than 8,000 people marched in Cali while the workers on strike were attacked at the refinery by tanks, the national guard and police (see "Colombia: Challenges to Uribe," Dec. 2008-Jan. 2009 N&L). Through all of this, the cane workers have counted on the solidarity of the Colombian and the Venezuelan people. Venezuelans had sent a caravan of trucks full of food and supplies to the workers during the strike, only to have it detained by the military and never reach the workers. According to the President of Colombia, the striking workers were "terrorists." The only thing for them to do was to try and subdue them through isolation, brute force, and hunger. A common mural painted in this part of Colombia reads: "Cane cutters: Slaves no more." The struggle for dignity for these agricultural laborers continues. Translated from Spanish by Brown Douglas |
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