The union leader, who is also the spokesperson for the National Strike Committee, issued a statement pointing out that since April 28th, when the national strike began, the response of the ‘regime presided over by Duque’ under orders of former president Alvaro Uribe, has been to address the resistance struggle of young people in a violent way.

For this, he uses the armed brutality of the police, the army and even civilians, Maltés Tello emphasized.

‘More than 82 young people killed and multiple eye losses, wounded, detained and missing are the result of the government’s handling of the social protest, not as an action of a fundamental right, but as a matter of public order,’ he stressed.

The CUTC reiterates its rejection of this repressive action by Duque’s government, Tello emphasized.

He warned that, despite the efforts of dialogue and negotiation between several territorial authorities and the youth of the resistance, which has generated a positive climate to address the social conflict as is happening in Cali, the national government insists on giving it a war treatment.

In this sense, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores rejects the new repressive actions carried out by the police and the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad) during last week that left more young people murdered in Cali and the capital.

mh/llp/mem/otf