From: Red Palante! <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002 07:02:05 -0500
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Colombia: SINTRAEMCALI Occupation: Temperature Rising on the
Streets
SINTRAEMCALI Occupation: Temperature Rising on the Streets
por Mario Novelli
7:57pm Fri Jan 25 '02
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Eyewitness
Thursday 24th of January, 2002 At 6.00 am this morning in the city of
Santiago de Cali, the working class movement, shoulder to shoulder with the
community, began to raise the stakes and the significance of the occupation
of the CAM Tower in defence of public services. Three of the most important
roads, which link the city to the rest of the country, were blocked by
thousands of workers. The blockades were maintained until 11. 30. a. m,
preventing anything and anyone from entering or leaving the city by road.
For the first time in this dispute, the commercial life of the city has
been seriously affected, a strategy which the union had, prior to today,
done its best to avoid. Since the occupation began EMCALI?s services have
remained intact, and apart from the marches disrupting traffic, city life
has remained fairly normal.
Today things changed, and for five and a half hours road links to the rest
of Colombia were cut. While serious conflict between the police and the
worker/community alliance was avoided, there was tension in all three
locations. At 11.30 a.m the workers and the communities, accompanied by
convoys of EMCALI trucks and jeeps, marched back in to the centre, reunited
in a mass of humanity that filled the streets outside the CAM Tower. The
city?s transport system ground to a halt, and traffic jams could be seen in
all directions. If the government thought that the occupation was running
out of steam and losing community support, today it received a firm and
resounding response, and things are likely to escalate further with the
build up for the Municipal Civic Strike which is planned for Monday. In the
rally that followed, union leaders inside the CAM Tower explained that yet
again the government had postponed the negotiations, this time until next
Monday: ?If this is how they want to play the game, then so be it. Today is
just a warning. If they think that they are going to tire us out, they are
wrong. We have now spent 30 days inside this Tower, and if we have to we
can spend another thirty more to achieve our objectives, . ? said one of
the union leaders from the balcony of the tower, face covered with the
balaclava that has become the symbol of the occupation.
The governments waiting game is a dangerous one, and they are forcing an
escalation of the conflict which threatens to spin out of control.
Unemployment in Cali has doubled in the last four years from 12% to 24% and
according to CEPAL (Centre for Latin American Statistics) a United Nations
research centre, 70% of Cali?s population now live below the official
poverty line. This situation has been worsened by the influx of thousands
of peasants who live in slums on the outskirts of the city or on the inner
city streets. Most were forced from their land by the paramilitaries,
others by the economic collapse of the agricultural industry. But not
everyone is suffering under neo-liberalism, and this is reflected in the
rise in inequality. In 1990 when Colombia began this economic model, the
difference in revenue between the poorest 10% and the richest 10% was 1:40,
it is now 1:80.
Resentment is growing, and I witnessed this in the anger of the march when
the crowds began shouting at the residents in the high rise luxury
apartments that line the streets of one of the richest parts of the city.
Cali is a potential powder-keg, and one serious incident over the coming
days may just light the match.
Published: 25/01/02
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Red Palante!
Comunicacion Antagonista y
Resistencia Cultural
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