Colombian Trade Unionists share perspectives on upcoming presidential elections

Two trade unionist leaders from Colombia recently shared updates at a videoconference of international trade unionists on the situation in Colombia and the stakes of the presidential elections. Marlon Puentes, a member of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), talked about how Colombia has been dominated by decades of a radical right-wing government. It is only with the 2022 election of Gustavo Petro that “working-class Colombians have had access to government but not power.”

Puentes recognized that while limited “because the Congress has blocked us,” there have been four years of reforms and key advancements in the Petro administration. He added, “We advance from Petro, but we find ourselves in the same situation as many years before: an ultraright and right wing, aligned with the ultraright of Latin America, aligned with the interests of the U.S. empire. We want to deepen the reforms we got through with Petro.”

During the following week’s videoconference on June 5, the group heard from Cindy Jimenez, a leader in the transport workers union in Colombia.

“We want to continue the wins we had under Petro, to reorganize political power to serve the people, and be a part of the movement across Latin America trying to push back capitalism and rising fascism,” Jimenez stated.

Jimenez added, “In this second round of presidential elections, the people have two choices: the continuation of Uribismo, Espriella’s career was to support the narcotraffickers and paramilitaries. He wants to eliminate the JEP, implement fracking, support Israel, and bring in North American influence.”

She added that amid all the disinformation and fear-mongering being put on the people, “we continue in hope, struggle, resistance and collective mobilization against the advance of fascism in our country.”

The JEP is a tribunal of special jurisdiction created out of the 2016 Peace Accords. It has been an important body to investigate cases of political violence from the 1980s into the 2000s. Its purpose is reconciliation and justice. Notably, the JEP has dropped the charge of rebellion against Colombian revolutionary and former FARC leader, Simón Trinidad. The JEP has also requested that Trinidad appear before the court in order to share his perspective and experiences from the political violence of the 1980s, when around 5000 members of the electoral coalition Patriotic Union were murdered by the far right. Presidential candidate Ivan Cepeda has firmly upheld the demand that Simón Trinidad be released from U.S. prison and repatriated to Colombia to help the peace process.

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