Article by PBI-Canada

Photo: The PBI-Colombia accompaniment of members from the Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone at the national strike action in Puerto Asis, Putumayo.

On October 21, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project tweeted: “Human rights defenders from the La Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRCPA), accompanied by the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIJP), participated this morning in a sit-in in Puerto Asis, Putumayo. Throughout the country, civil society comes out to demonstrate within the framework of the national strike.”

PBI-Colombia also tweeted: “In Bogotá we are accompanying the verification commission of the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP) who monitor possible threats towards those protesting or other violations of human rights during today’s peaceful protest.”

And it also tweeted: “Today CREDHOS, an organization accompanied by PBI-Colombia, accompanies the peaceful protest in Barrancabermeja.”

Earlier in the day, The Bogota Post had reported: “The paro nacional — national strike — will be joined by Fecode, the national union of education workers, and the minga indígena [the massive Indigenous mobilization that arrived in Bogota on October 19]. Fecode began a 48-hour strike yesterday with various workshops, online forums and conversations.”

Al Jazeera had also reported: “Thousands of union members, teachers, students and Indigenous people are set to participate in a national strike in Colombia on [October 21] to protest against the social and economic policies of President Ivan Duque, the killing of human rights activists and recent police violence.”

And Mint Press reported: “The highly organized teachers’ union FECODE [is protesting] conservative president Ivan Duque’s plans to reopen schools and other educational institutions with few protective measures, despite a COVID-19 pandemic raging through the country, killing between 100 and 200 people daily. The teachers join students, trade unions, and a host of other organizations in collective action against Duque’s government.”

That article also notes: “Four more indigenous leaders were killed on [October 19 and 20], with two narrowly escaping death. Their murders are rumored to be a retaliation for the mobilizations in Bogota, as thousands have traveled to the nation’s capital to voice their displeasure.”

For more, search the hashtags #PARONacional21o #ParoNacional and #MingaPorLaVidayPorLaPaz on Twitter.

Photo: PBI-Colombia with the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Bogota.