Tag: Colombia

Posted on

Days after referendum is defeated Colombian citizens demonstrate and president wins Nobel Peace Prize

Colombians march for peace
Source: AFP News Agency clip via YouTube
Colombians turned out en masse to demonstrate for peace after a ballot referendum was narrowly defeated on Sunday 02 October 2016 50.2% to 49.8%. The deal would have brought to an end Colombia’s half century of civil war. Former Pres. Alvaro Uribe led the “no” vote campaign surge by stirring up support among voters for his claim that FARC opposition forces deserve neither amnesty from criminal prosecution or government support to assist with transitioning back into civil society, both of which were provided for under the terms of the peace agreement.
read more

Posted on

Postpone Colombian trade agreement until workers are treated right

It’s hard to understand why the Free Trade agreement the US has made with Colombia is a bad thing, but this article lays the issues out pretty well. Basically, workers aren’t treated too well down in Colombia and when labor activists try to step in and organize unions for the workers’ protection, the activists are, “assassinated, threatened, and intimidated, and the perpetrators enjoy almost complete impunity.”

Union leaders and other worker advocates, seem to be saying that the US should throw its weight behind trade embargoes to force Colombia to improve conditions for its country’s work force. That means a US moratorium on trade with Colombia and agreements to trade, until worker conditions are put right. A few days ago, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka wrote President Obama asking him to, “postpone indefinitely the implementation of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement”. How about it, Prez? read more