13.02.1997

Colombian general strike

On Tuesday January 11 in Colombia more than 800,000 state workers started an indefinite general strike. According to The Guardian, “this would make it the largest protest since 1977” (February11).

In support of that strike and continuing the campaign of denunciation against BP’s financial support for the paramilitary killing of left and union activists, the Colombian Refugee Association (Coras) organised a very successful picket of about 40 people in front of the Colombian embassy in London on January 11. The most significant demand was one that tried to link the fact that the Ecuadorian general strike on January 5-6 brought down the President, Abdala ‘Loco’ Bucaram and that the Colombian general strike should aim to bring down Ernesto Samper.

Helena Torres