A new “great mobilization” called for next May 19 in Colombia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Strike Committee (CNP), one of the promoters of the protests that began last April 28, called for a new “great mobilization” for next May 19 in rejection of police brutality and the policies of the Government of Colombian President Iván Duque.

This organization, made up of labor centers and unions, made the eve of the start of negotiations with the Colombian government, scheduled for this Sunday in Bogota, to address the issues that gave rise to the demonstrations that left more than 40 dead.

“We call for next Wednesday, May 19, for a great mobilization, peaceful. All and all to the streets, with our flag and the saucepan, with strict compliance with biosecurity norms”, expressed the CNP in a communiqué.

NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT

The High Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, assured journalists that the Government “welcomes the willingness of the National Strike Committee to begin negotiations”.

The protests, which began last April 28, have claimed 42 fatalities reported to the Ombudsman’s Office.

Although indeed, the Government has already withdrawn the fiscal reform, the protests fit a series of demands which the National Strike Committee summarizes as follows: withdrawal of the health reform bill, which contemplates privatizations, and strengthening of a massive vaccination, basic income of at least one legal monthly minimum wage and defense of national production.

However, many people in the streets say that the CNP does not represent them. That organization responded today, saying that it does not intend to “assume the spokesmanship of all the citizens who have been mobilized since April 28”.

“The National Strike Committee articulates 26 social sectors at the national level, 29 departmental committees, and more than 300 municipal committees. We recognize that other social sectors and citizens have joined the call for a National Strike”, expressed the CNP.

In this sense, the representatives of this organization go to the negotiation table with the Government intending to achieve commitments “for the cessation of violence and the free exercise of protest”.

“We aspire that the Government understands the complexity and commits itself in a serious and binding way, to stop the violence and to open the different negotiation processes”, the Committee added.

According to the records of the NGO Temblores, during the protests, there have been 39 homicides allegedly committed by members of the security forces and at least 362 cases of physical violence, including 30 eye assaults, as well as 16 cases of sexual violence.