The Week's Roundup
My blog has been somewhat neglected recently. Last week didnt leave much time and web access has been limited. Sunday, following May Day’s inspiring show of strength and solidarity from labour organisations and civil[ised] society groups the non-official but none the less State response was unremitting: another attempt at the life of Edgar Perea, Vice-president of the Yumbo Metal Workers Union (Sintrametal Yumbo). This occured just eighteen days after the previous attempted assassination of Edgar Perea in which his brother RAÚL PEREA ZÚÑIGA was killed (14.04.04) and nineteen days after the assaination of EMSIRVA (municiple cleaning services) Union leader CARLOS ALBERTO CHICAIZA (15.04.04). This time it was community leader and recently apointed bodyguard of Mr. Perea JESÚS ALEXANDER HERNÁNDEZ who was killed in the crossfire.
EMCALI the Cali state owned miniciple services company has been fighting privatisation with creativity and determination since the mid ninetees has experienced renewed pressure this week. EMCALI is the jewl in the crown of the struggle against a pervasive wave of privatisation permeating colombian public services, a shinning example of successful creative resistence, of viable alternatives (see M. Novelli Privatising Emcali). The substantial financial gains for private investors aside, pyschologicaly for the Uribe government it is a battle they do not want to lose. Part of the agreement to saving the company was the commitment to the amend the Collective Agreement. On Tuesday it was handed over to the executive Committee exluding workers and the union. In response to the exclusion from the official process and aware of the direction in which the company will go without their input workers assembled at the water and sewerage plant on Wednesday. They arrived both ready to work but also with the objective of analysing the implications of the hand-over of the Collective Agreement and the loss of rights associated with it that have been achieved through long and arduous struggle. Almost as soon as it had begun the workers were met by state law enforcement agencies in considerable numbers comprising of members of the Mobile Anti (civil) Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) and Military Police Force (PM). They diddnt mess about opennig fire on the crowd with shotguns spraying the demonstators will buckshot, tear gas and pepper spray. Today I went passed the plant on the bus and it is worth noting that it is situated in a densely populated and impoverished residentil area. An area where at this time of day, children for whom school is not an option, fill the streets, an area, moreover where exists a population that the authorities will do all in their power to make sure do not end up on the side of the workers. For the police a peaceful demonstration was a PR oportunity for EMCALI they would not concede. By far the most sinister occurence in the middle of the attacks was the positioning of a Cali Metropolitan Police vehicle next to the plant from which the young occupants shouted insults at the workers. Simultaneously an explosion was set off by the ESMAD force leaving a number of the occupants of said vehicle wounded. According to the Police the vehicle was transporting young people with behavioural problems to a juvenile detention centre. The police superintendent in charge claimed in an abusive and defamatory statement that EMCALI workers had attacked the police transport vehicle that had been passing through area on routine business. (click for full report)
Meanwhile, the strike continues called by the Colombian Oil Workers Union USO on the 22nd of April in response to threatened privatisation of the industry and loss of workers rights and control of national resources associated with it. The strike has been declared illegal by the Government on the basis that oil is in their veiw an “essential service” to the Nation. Of that essential service 59% of the oil produced is exported, the majority of which in crude form. The largest markup on fuel occurs at the refinement stage meaning that the vast majority of the profits are earned outside of Colombia. An essential service perhaps, but not to the majority of Colombia. Up to the present date 53 USO members have been dismissed for union activism on the basis of the illegality of the strike. (background and greater depth on USO situtation)
You probably remember from last week (20.04.04) the restructuring of the National Apprenticeship Scheme (SENA) resulting in higher costs, fewer teachers, more students and greater involvement of the private sector. The public protests against it were met with police brutality and arbitrary detentions across the country in order to debilitate resistance to further change and ultimately privatisation. In acordance with this policy members of the SINDESENA directive committee found themselve themselves transferred, stripped of functions or made redundant. The most extreme case being that of WILSON ARIAS, member of the SINDESENA National Committee and CUT Executive Committee who, for opposition to the restructuring has been sacked and has appeared on a list with three other Cali Union leaders threatened with death (ALEXANDER LOPEZ, MP for Valle del Cauca, LUIS HERNANDEZ, President of SINTRAEMCALI, and EDGAR PEREA Member of the SINTRAMETAL Executive Committee.
In an addition to this the Uribe Government is pushing for judicial reforms in an attempt to secure a constitutional amendment to secure the President a second term and more seriously to severely limit the role of the Constitutional Court, an essential branch of the democratic system which would serve as check on the actions of the the President if reelected. Toping it off is the globaly popular introduction and use of new "anti terrorism" laws to criminalise the activities of and castigate members of trade unions and social movements.
In response to this wave of privatisation and state violence in repression of unionism and social protest underlined by judicial reform, that has reached boiling point this week, the union of university workers held a 3000 strong public at the university of Valle on Wednesday the 5th of May, as a declaration of solidarity with the sectors affected and in recognition of the gravity of the national situation.
On Thursday the 6th Students and staff held a demonstration. It was almost spontaneous, totally unadvertised and well attended. It began at 11 am with a road blockage outside the University Pasoancho entrance. Within fifteen minutes a large police contingent arrived comprised of officers from the Anti [civil] Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) and Military Police (PM). The police drove the students into the University Campus with tear gas where they held their ground behind the entrance Gates. Initially nature was on the demonstators side, a southerly wind blowing the noxious gases right back into the lines of robotic police soldiers. Two police riot vehicles equipped with water cannons and tear gas were positioned in the road between the University entrance and Unicentro Shopping centre. One (no. 24027) was used as a shield behind which police fired tear gas while the other was used in various failed attempts to penetrate the university gates using water cannons. It was initially shocking and then really quite inspiring to see the severity conflict with the police. Being experienced in resisting the force of well equipt anti civil disturbance police forces, the students went in to battle well prepared. Indeed it was somehwat perplexing to a student acustomed to UK peaceful protest when they arrived with gallons of milk. It wasnt until I was standing balling my eyes out from tear gas under a nearby tree and a girl sprayed milk in my face that I remembered milk’s soothing capacity other than as an acompanyment to choclate chip cookies. The students put up a good fight returning fire with home made smoke bombs, stones and molotov cocktails. From the sidelines stood the supportive staff from dinner ladies and security guards to lecturers, calm in the shade from the heat of the day and talking with the students taking a break form the frontlines to milk their eyes or smoke a cigarette. The demonstration continued for some five hours inside the Campus grounds into which the police repeatedly fired CS2 tear gas, an american inovation more lacrimoneous than normal CS and imported to Colombia as part of US military aid for Plan Colombia. Ironically the road which the students began by blocking before retreating into the campus grounds remained closed until 5pm blocked by the police from where they launched their attacks. Ironic but logical really, for the authorities, what would have been the point of a demo that didnt disturb the public. (click for full report)
Its easy to take one two conflicting veiws about the events, both of which I felt a different points but neither of which I maintain in veiw of the whole. One is to get caught caught up in the frivolity of it all, the insults at the police, their cocky rebuttles, the cheering when they take a casualty, a smoke bomb penetrates their lines or one of them does a lame stone throw or poor shot with CS canister, the pain and exitement of revolt. The other is a disgust at the violence. That these people at whom we are throwing stones are people also, many of whom didnt have the chance to go to university and learn about the system they are fighting to defend or the alternatives they are fighting to opress. That like fighting a war for peace its justification rests on the same contradictions that the states we resist have tried to sell us a thousand times. That we will never get anywhere fighting.
I know the fallaciousness of trying to justify violence against the police even if in self defence. I have argued it many times from the comfort of my own smoke filled living room. This argument I feel more deeply, and for a person who comes from [an on the whole] internally peaceful nation its quite an easy one to maintain. The problem is that when faced with the brutality of a state that denies through criminalisation and violence the most basic forms of social protest against a system that denies the most basic rights, services and national wealth, a tougher resistence is necessary. It sounds polemic and perhaps it is but some things are achieved by fighting and some things are worth fighting for if its the only option. To see the passion and determination in their actions and to hear the desperation in their voices was terrifying for its demonstration of the gravity of the situation. This is a long way from smashing up Macdonalds on London, these are students in a university community that has lost 55 people to assassinations in the last 5 years, whose friends and family have disappeared od been threatened by state agencies whose crimes remain in impunity. Their rage is founded in grave injustice and inspired in me a respect for those willing to continue to risk their lives for a different world.
(I know many people will be against what ive said. You can never justify stone throwing academically and maybe at some point i'll think differently, we are all learning. For now i maintain in light of what ive seen that the situation justifies the methods. To those who disagree, I would propose to come here and see for yourself what peole are up against before passing judgement)
EMCALI the Cali state owned miniciple services company has been fighting privatisation with creativity and determination since the mid ninetees has experienced renewed pressure this week. EMCALI is the jewl in the crown of the struggle against a pervasive wave of privatisation permeating colombian public services, a shinning example of successful creative resistence, of viable alternatives (see M. Novelli Privatising Emcali). The substantial financial gains for private investors aside, pyschologicaly for the Uribe government it is a battle they do not want to lose. Part of the agreement to saving the company was the commitment to the amend the Collective Agreement. On Tuesday it was handed over to the executive Committee exluding workers and the union. In response to the exclusion from the official process and aware of the direction in which the company will go without their input workers assembled at the water and sewerage plant on Wednesday. They arrived both ready to work but also with the objective of analysing the implications of the hand-over of the Collective Agreement and the loss of rights associated with it that have been achieved through long and arduous struggle. Almost as soon as it had begun the workers were met by state law enforcement agencies in considerable numbers comprising of members of the Mobile Anti (civil) Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) and Military Police Force (PM). They diddnt mess about opennig fire on the crowd with shotguns spraying the demonstators will buckshot, tear gas and pepper spray. Today I went passed the plant on the bus and it is worth noting that it is situated in a densely populated and impoverished residentil area. An area where at this time of day, children for whom school is not an option, fill the streets, an area, moreover where exists a population that the authorities will do all in their power to make sure do not end up on the side of the workers. For the police a peaceful demonstration was a PR oportunity for EMCALI they would not concede. By far the most sinister occurence in the middle of the attacks was the positioning of a Cali Metropolitan Police vehicle next to the plant from which the young occupants shouted insults at the workers. Simultaneously an explosion was set off by the ESMAD force leaving a number of the occupants of said vehicle wounded. According to the Police the vehicle was transporting young people with behavioural problems to a juvenile detention centre. The police superintendent in charge claimed in an abusive and defamatory statement that EMCALI workers had attacked the police transport vehicle that had been passing through area on routine business. (click for full report)
Meanwhile, the strike continues called by the Colombian Oil Workers Union USO on the 22nd of April in response to threatened privatisation of the industry and loss of workers rights and control of national resources associated with it. The strike has been declared illegal by the Government on the basis that oil is in their veiw an “essential service” to the Nation. Of that essential service 59% of the oil produced is exported, the majority of which in crude form. The largest markup on fuel occurs at the refinement stage meaning that the vast majority of the profits are earned outside of Colombia. An essential service perhaps, but not to the majority of Colombia. Up to the present date 53 USO members have been dismissed for union activism on the basis of the illegality of the strike. (background and greater depth on USO situtation)
You probably remember from last week (20.04.04) the restructuring of the National Apprenticeship Scheme (SENA) resulting in higher costs, fewer teachers, more students and greater involvement of the private sector. The public protests against it were met with police brutality and arbitrary detentions across the country in order to debilitate resistance to further change and ultimately privatisation. In acordance with this policy members of the SINDESENA directive committee found themselve themselves transferred, stripped of functions or made redundant. The most extreme case being that of WILSON ARIAS, member of the SINDESENA National Committee and CUT Executive Committee who, for opposition to the restructuring has been sacked and has appeared on a list with three other Cali Union leaders threatened with death (ALEXANDER LOPEZ, MP for Valle del Cauca, LUIS HERNANDEZ, President of SINTRAEMCALI, and EDGAR PEREA Member of the SINTRAMETAL Executive Committee.
In an addition to this the Uribe Government is pushing for judicial reforms in an attempt to secure a constitutional amendment to secure the President a second term and more seriously to severely limit the role of the Constitutional Court, an essential branch of the democratic system which would serve as check on the actions of the the President if reelected. Toping it off is the globaly popular introduction and use of new "anti terrorism" laws to criminalise the activities of and castigate members of trade unions and social movements.
In response to this wave of privatisation and state violence in repression of unionism and social protest underlined by judicial reform, that has reached boiling point this week, the union of university workers held a 3000 strong public at the university of Valle on Wednesday the 5th of May, as a declaration of solidarity with the sectors affected and in recognition of the gravity of the national situation.
On Thursday the 6th Students and staff held a demonstration. It was almost spontaneous, totally unadvertised and well attended. It began at 11 am with a road blockage outside the University Pasoancho entrance. Within fifteen minutes a large police contingent arrived comprised of officers from the Anti [civil] Disturbance Squadron (ESMAD) and Military Police (PM). The police drove the students into the University Campus with tear gas where they held their ground behind the entrance Gates. Initially nature was on the demonstators side, a southerly wind blowing the noxious gases right back into the lines of robotic police soldiers. Two police riot vehicles equipped with water cannons and tear gas were positioned in the road between the University entrance and Unicentro Shopping centre. One (no. 24027) was used as a shield behind which police fired tear gas while the other was used in various failed attempts to penetrate the university gates using water cannons. It was initially shocking and then really quite inspiring to see the severity conflict with the police. Being experienced in resisting the force of well equipt anti civil disturbance police forces, the students went in to battle well prepared. Indeed it was somehwat perplexing to a student acustomed to UK peaceful protest when they arrived with gallons of milk. It wasnt until I was standing balling my eyes out from tear gas under a nearby tree and a girl sprayed milk in my face that I remembered milk’s soothing capacity other than as an acompanyment to choclate chip cookies. The students put up a good fight returning fire with home made smoke bombs, stones and molotov cocktails. From the sidelines stood the supportive staff from dinner ladies and security guards to lecturers, calm in the shade from the heat of the day and talking with the students taking a break form the frontlines to milk their eyes or smoke a cigarette. The demonstration continued for some five hours inside the Campus grounds into which the police repeatedly fired CS2 tear gas, an american inovation more lacrimoneous than normal CS and imported to Colombia as part of US military aid for Plan Colombia. Ironically the road which the students began by blocking before retreating into the campus grounds remained closed until 5pm blocked by the police from where they launched their attacks. Ironic but logical really, for the authorities, what would have been the point of a demo that didnt disturb the public. (click for full report)
Its easy to take one two conflicting veiws about the events, both of which I felt a different points but neither of which I maintain in veiw of the whole. One is to get caught caught up in the frivolity of it all, the insults at the police, their cocky rebuttles, the cheering when they take a casualty, a smoke bomb penetrates their lines or one of them does a lame stone throw or poor shot with CS canister, the pain and exitement of revolt. The other is a disgust at the violence. That these people at whom we are throwing stones are people also, many of whom didnt have the chance to go to university and learn about the system they are fighting to defend or the alternatives they are fighting to opress. That like fighting a war for peace its justification rests on the same contradictions that the states we resist have tried to sell us a thousand times. That we will never get anywhere fighting.
I know the fallaciousness of trying to justify violence against the police even if in self defence. I have argued it many times from the comfort of my own smoke filled living room. This argument I feel more deeply, and for a person who comes from [an on the whole] internally peaceful nation its quite an easy one to maintain. The problem is that when faced with the brutality of a state that denies through criminalisation and violence the most basic forms of social protest against a system that denies the most basic rights, services and national wealth, a tougher resistence is necessary. It sounds polemic and perhaps it is but some things are achieved by fighting and some things are worth fighting for if its the only option. To see the passion and determination in their actions and to hear the desperation in their voices was terrifying for its demonstration of the gravity of the situation. This is a long way from smashing up Macdonalds on London, these are students in a university community that has lost 55 people to assassinations in the last 5 years, whose friends and family have disappeared od been threatened by state agencies whose crimes remain in impunity. Their rage is founded in grave injustice and inspired in me a respect for those willing to continue to risk their lives for a different world.
(I know many people will be against what ive said. You can never justify stone throwing academically and maybe at some point i'll think differently, we are all learning. For now i maintain in light of what ive seen that the situation justifies the methods. To those who disagree, I would propose to come here and see for yourself what peole are up against before passing judgement)
