Colombian workers and youth are in the streets fighting against the attacks of President Ivan Duque and demanding the arrest of the murderers and those responsible for the more than 35 deaths in the mass protests that have been occurring since April 28. On this day, a General Strike began against the tax-code reform law that Duque’s government planned to impose. The passage of this law would have resulted in a large increase in taxes on workers’ wages and essential items such as food.
The April 28 General Strike ignited a popular insurrection that united urban and rural workers with youth, along with other oppressed groups including Colombian Blacks and Indigenous people.
The masses registered a victory against Duque when he was forced to cancel the hated tax-reform law. However, to date dozens of demonstrators have been murdered, hundreds wounded, many women sexually assaulted, and hundreds arrested and disappeared.
Duque, the military, and police must pay for this violence!
We join the call to overthrow the Duque government and the demand that he and others responsible for the massacre of protesters be arrested!
Colombia has one of the most submissive governments to U.S. imperialism anywhere and stands as a “model” of neoliberalism in Latin America. The consequence of these policies is enormous poverty, unemployment, and spiraling inflation. The attacks by the Duque government were the straw that broke the camel’s back and the Colombian masses, by fighting and defeating the tax increase bill, felt their power and now are focused on achieving more.
Colombia shows that the road to victory depends on resistance and direct action in the streets!
May the masses continue to fight and build organizations of popular power and defeat the entire bourgeoisie and imperialism through the establishment of a workers and oppressed people’s government!
- President Duque must go!
- Free all political prisoners!
- Indict all those responsible for repression and abuse!
- Jail those responsible for murder and attacks on protesters!
- For continued direct action, self-defense, and popular organization!
Committee for Revolutionary International Regroupment (CRIR)
Partido Socialismo y Libertad – Argentina
Movimento Revolucionário Socialista – Brasil
Partido Obrero Socialista – México
Freedom Socialist Party – U.S. and Australia
Contact: cririnter@gmail.com
