Colombia braced for another general strike as unions call for demilitarisation of streets
Protesters protect themselves with makeshift shields as they clash with the police during a national strike against tax reform in Cali, Colombia
COLOMBIA is set for another general strike tomorrow, with unions saying that the government has failed to listen to demands for emergency measures to deal with rising poverty and hunger.
The action was called by the Central Union of Workers (CUT). The trade union federation also demanded that the streets be demilitarised after 19 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in anti-government protests over the past week.
CUT president Francisco Maltes called on all Colombians to “maintain and increase the mobilisations” despite right-wing President Ivan Duque’s agreement to withdraw a tax reform package that would have disproportionately hit the poorest people.
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