The Colombian National Strike Committee, which oversees the ongoing mass demonstrations for higher living standards, has called on supporters to continue their protests on Wednesday, saying its tenth meeting with the government did not lead to an expected breakthrough
MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2021) The Colombian National Strike Committee, which oversees the ongoing mass demonstrations for higher living standards, has called on supporters to continue their protests on Wednesday, saying its tenth meeting with the government did not lead to an expected breakthrough.
Since late April, the Latin American country has been gripped by protests against tax hikes, which carry on even after the authorities discarded the initiative. In that time, the protesters' list of demands has been significantly expanded. In late May, the government reported reaching a set of "pre-agreements" with the committee on guarantees for the right to peacefully protest.
"The national government presented a new document on guarantees that undoes the pre-agreement reached past May 24, and insists on militarization of the protests and does not agree to follow what the norms, laws and international standards," the committee said in a statement, published on the Twitter page of the country's education workers union.
According to the statement, the government is blocking the regional agreements that were reached in Cali and Buenaventura and is boycotting the May 24 agreement as well.
"We call for a massive and peaceful mobilization in the entire country tomorrow, on Wednesday, June 2," the statement concluded.
According to the official data over 2,000 people were injured in clashes between the protesters and the law enforcement officers, with at least 57 killed, including three policemen.
