Also attending the meeting was former CUT president and member of the IUF’s International Executive Committee Luis Alejandro Pedraza, IUF general secretary Sue Longley, and labor leaders Mariano Hoya and Sebastián Serena of the UGT-FICA (Industry, Construction and Agricultural Workers’ Federation of the Spanish General Workers’ Confederation).

Gerardo Iglesias, IUF regional secretary, conveyed his organization’s full support to the struggle that the CUT and a broad range of social, grassroots, labor, and political organizations are waging to further social reforms and peacebuilding and unity efforts in Colombia.

The work to coordinate and strengthen popular forces is necessary to move forward with a project for the country that will guarantee the rights of the Colombian people, bolster the current government (committed with change), and counter the coupist winds that have been blowing very intensely in the past few months.

These same organizations are staging a nationwide mobilization on Thursday, September 19. Rel UITA (IUF Latin America) will be there accompanying this new demonstration of unified struggle.

“As always, we want to be part of the struggle for a free, sovereign, and democratic Colombia. You can count on our full support and our broadest solidarity,” Iglesias said.

Fabio Arias thanked the Rel UITA delegation for being there and underlined the importance of this support, which has characterized the historical relationship between the two organizations.

“This is a government that has been constantly under fire. But we are not giving in to the oligarchic sectors of the country and the far Right, who are in control of the media,” Arias explained.

“It is a political battle that we are supporting, because it is about safeguarding democracy and thoroughly pursuing social reforms”.

“In this sense,” he continued “the pension reform¹ marks a huge step forward in terms of social interests, and we must defend it against the attacks targeting it. There are already 150 legal actions against it filed with the Constitutional Court”.

The CUT president recalled the historical support provided by the IUF in Colombia’s darkest hours, and at the same time, he said he was confident that the IUF would be there for the Colombian people in the future.

“We have always been able to count on the IUF and for that we thank you. We reaffirm our international commitment with each one of you,” he concluded.

Gerardo Iglesias and Fabio Arias Giraldo | Photo: Giorgio Trucchi