Unions claim that the truckers’ strike is orchestrated by the Uribe supporters

The truckers’ strike continues in several places in Bogotá and Colombia. The transporters They assure that they will continue with the blockades and will extend them to more municipalities in the country, in Nariño, Meta and Cundinamarca, until there is an agreement compared to the price of diesel fuel, which increased by 20% at the beginning of September.

Amidst the tensions, the Unitary Central of Workers (CUT), the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the Democratic Confederation of Pensioners (CDP), the Confederation of Pensioners of Colombia (CPC) and the National Coordinator for Change They assured that the strike was not called by the unions, nor will they support it.

(See also: Transporters say that the increase in diesel fuel in the country will destroy their sector)

“The large transporters and freight generators in coordination with Uribe’s supporters have seen the opportunity to promote a national truckers’ strike aimed at generating greater ungovernability, and thus create the favorable conditions in the political environment of the nation for a coup d’état to be accentuated.“, they assured.

They also argued that The reasons given for the strike do not correspond to the situation in the country, “in which the deep fiscal deficit is under pressure from a fuel subsidy, and, consequently, what is in the air is a political and electoral interest in a possible coup against the government of Gustavo Petro.“.

Delving into the fiscal deficit in the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund, The unions said this has been going on for almost 36 months and noted that “The Duque government’s freezing of fuel prices was a political and electoral decision that accumulated a high deficit“.

They also called for a nationwide demonstration to reject the blockades: “We call on everyone to express their feelings for the democratic, progressive and popular political project in the streets and to gather in the city of Bogotá in the Plaza de Bolívar on Thursday, September 19, starting at 11:00 am, to reject an attempted coup d’état.“.

The Government’s position

The negotiating table requested by the protesters has not yet reached an agreement and in an interview with the W Radio, Maria Constanza Garcia, Minister of Transport, defended the increase in the price of diesel fuel and He assured that it was necessary for the country.

On the other hand, President Gustavo Petro said through X that “the country will not allow itself to be blocked” and “The rise in diesel prices is fair because it is only recovering the money from a subsidy that should never have been given and that already accounts for a large fraction of Colombia’s public debt.“.

(See also: ‘The country will not allow itself to be blocked’: Petro defends diesel price increase in the face of strong protests).

Duque’s response

Former President Iván Duque and several ministers of his government (2018-2022) responded to accusations received from different sectors regarding the fiscal deficit and defended themselves.

(See also: Truckers’ protest: more closures of multiple TransMilenio stations due to strike).

“Populists used to threaten to burn down the country for any increase in fuel prices, and now, in government, they are showing their incompetence by blaming others for their own mistakes.“, wrote Duque on his X account.

(See also: Truckers’ strike: blockades cause damage in Bogotá and nearby municipalities).

Truckers strike.

Milton Diaz / CEET

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