Article by PBI-Canada

Photo: During last year’s National Strike marches on November 21, 2019, PBI-Colombia accompanied David Ravelo Crespo (a founding member of CREDHOS), the CSPP and CCAJAR. National strike protests are taking place this year from November 19-25.

Thousands of people took to the streets on Thursday November 19 to protest against violence and the economic, labour and social policies of Colombia’s President Ivan Duque.

On that day, PBI-Colombia accompanied CREDHOS tweeted that it had marched in defense of life, rights and the just struggles of the Colombian people.

And PBI-Colombia accompanied Nomadesc tweeted: “From very early hours, the social organizations and defenders of the rights of the peoples of the city of Cali met at the exact point where Duvan Villegas fell immobile, victim of a shot that the police gave him in the back in the mobilization of the N21 National Strike in 2019.”

Then on Friday November 20 peasant communities continued the strike, including mobilizing outside the Colombian oil company Ecopetrol plant in Cantagallo.

Saturday November 21, university students and teachers will mobilize in Bogota.

On Monday November 23, social movements will hold a candlelight march to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the death of 18-year-old student Dilan Cruz, who was killed by the Colombian ESMAD riot police during a national strike last year.

The PBI-Colombia accompanied Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) has tweeted: “Next Monday marks one year of the murder of Dilan Cruz at the hands of the Colombian Police. We wait for you so that together we demand justice for Dilan and for all the young people who have been murdered while exercising their right to social protest.”

Later next week, on Wednesday November 25, various feminist movements will march to demand an end to all forms of gender-based violence on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

One of the key demands of the national strike mobilizations has been a rejection of fracking. It is expected that Toronto-based Sintana Energy will be awarded a contract next week to conduct a fracking pilot project in Puerto Wilches, Santander.

As these mobilizations take place, we recall that PBI-Colombia has previously tweeted: “Social and peaceful protest is a human right, above all, disproportionate repressions cannot be justified against the civilian population, we ask for guarantees and respect for life.”

To follow on Twitter, search the hashtag #paronacional.