ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
COLOMBIA | 08-05-2014 | Farmers in Colombia are striking again citing government failure to fulfill promises made last August 2013 at the previous agrarian strikes. Strikers were brutally repressed by ESMAD (Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squadron) this week with reports of up to 130 injured. Students and teachers have now joined the farmers in solidarity and farmers say they will continue the Paro Agrario until their demands are met. Citizen reports on twitter indicate that Colombian media is not reporting on the strikes or the violent repression of farmers, possibly because the coverage of violence against citizens could impact the upcoming presidential elections on May 25th.
Brutal repressions by ESMAD are fueling more calls for a nationwide strike today. The strike comes just before presidential elections on May 25th. Students and teachers have joined the striking farmers in protests against free trade agreements that make it difficult for them to compete in their markets.
They are demanding debt forgiveness, cheaper fertilizer, a halt to mining projects, fuel subsidies and the end of controls requiring farmers to use certified seeds made by multinational corporations like Monsanto and Syngenta. Calls have gone out on twitter to block roads and spread the strike to the whole country.
see You Tube link below:
