Everything you need to know about the day of the national strike on April 28

This April 28, the country will experience a new day of demonstrations against the Government of Iván Duque and its tax reform, among other reasons. The mobilization has been called by unions, social organizations, students and the opposition and is expected to take place in the most important cities of Colombia.

Francisco Maltés, president of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), said in Week where one of the reasons for the strike on Wednesday is the tax reform and the health reform project, an initiative which is also of the national government.

Responsibility for the April 28 strike lies with the government of President Duque, which refuses to accept a national clamor to withdraw this nefarious tax reform project from the Congress of the Republic.

Otro tema de fondo, que se ha promovido por el sindicato de Fecode, es el regreso a las aulas de los maestros, quienes piden al Gobierno que, si se vuelven las clases presenciales, los alumnos y docentes deben tener las condiciones de bioseguridad para volver in class.

William Velandia, president of Fecode, told El Tiempo the march was taking place because there was no option other than Duque’s measures.

It is because we are walking because we have no other option. We have demanded that the district administration and the national government organize and prepare the schools for the time being, but this has not been done. Let’s look at what happened: the 400,000 million pesos allocated by the ministry since last year have not been executed. This money in itself is little and less than 100,000 million pesos has barely been executed, with a reduction in mid-April. What does this tell us? That the schools were not conditioned.

Because in the tax reform, there are points that could affect the area Colombians, peasants and farmers they will also join the march. Óscar Gutiérrez, president of Dignidad Agropecuaria has confirmed that he will be present at the mobilization

Francisco Maltés, president of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores, said the mobilizations will take place in the main cities of the country, where the union expects between 20,000 and 30,000 people to arrive, including 15,000 in Bogotá alone. . According to the union leader, teachers, students and unions from different economic sectors will participate in the marches.

Colombia goes through one of the the most critical moments of the pandemic in which 72,235 people died as of April 27 and infections continue to grow. For this same reason and to avoid massive infections while walking, the Unemployment Committee has published a list of biosafety recommendations and protocols to be followed while walking.

1- It should be noted that each is responsible for himself with regard to the biosecurity conditions. Keeping them with strict discipline is for your safety and the safety of others. Know that the media will be attentive to this issue.

2- No one with an obvious degree of risk should participate: very young or very old people, people already affected by the flu, breathing problems, mobility difficulties, cough, fever, malaise, nasal congestion or diarrhea. Also if you have been in contact in the past 10 days with people with covid-19. Ditto if there are comorbidities (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc.)

3- Presence on roads and public spaces must be achieved by maintaining a distance of at least two meters between person and person. This modality even gives an extension to walking that can make it visible to more people.

4- All participants and leaders, men and women, must wear properly placed masks covering the mouth and nose. The organizers and participating organizations will make every effort to provide them. Anyone who does not wear a mask will be removed from the mobilization. Bring drums or pans instead of whistles.

5- If, when requesting mobilization authorizations, certain conditions have been agreed with the administrative or police authorities of the various cities of the country, they must be respected as well as the routes and concentration sites defined by the strike committees.

6- Do not convert distance walking into close concentration or move from open spaces to closed areas. Being outdoors and on the move reduces the risk.

7- Whenever possible, use transport before and after mobilization to avoid congestion in the transport system. An increasingly common transport option is the use of the bicycle which offers huge range benefits and facilitates personal care and distance.

8- Spend the time strictly necessary at the agreed concentration site in each city (Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá), do not extend it, or extend it without strict necessity and convenience. Practically from entry to exit. In Bogotá, enter from the north side and exit from the south side.

9- All participants should be able to attend to suggestions from those in charge of the sanitary aspects of the walks, who should wear a bracelet or other badge that visually accredits them for this.

ten- Food or drink should not be ingested during mobilization. If this is the case, he has his own rules of health which must be observed in all cases. Dealers will always use individual containers with their own cookware. Don’t share drinks.

11- Where possible, what is needed for hand washing will be organized at different points along the established route. Always wearing and constantly applying the antibacterial gel or alcohol is essential. Hopefully the organizers can provide it as well.

12- Be careful not to fall into circumstances which render the biosecurity measures null and void, that is to say not to seek or accept the proximity of anyone on the routes, not to lead to crowds … small umbrella or plastic mask is always handy.

13- The organizers, entities and people equipped with appropriate equipment will take the temperature of those present, in order to guide the withdrawal of those who display temperatures above 38 degrees at the start of the public action.

14- Sound equipment and speakers or others used during the tour are recommended. I hope to have slogans, music and other recorded to avoid shouting or manipulating the microphones, highly polluting elements.

15- Never, under any circumstances, should anyone put a hand on his face, shake his hand or hug him. Let us support the desire to do so before the joy of seeing friends, family, relatives again.

By a statement, the national police assured that the authorities “They will ensure compliance with biosecurity measures, as well as the normal development of the day.”

“We respectfully appeal to all those who will use the constitutional right to demonstrate publicly and peacefully so that, please, they think of others. We already have the devices all over the country with the priority objective of ensuring the health of all Colombians», Declared the general of division Jorge Luis Vargas Valence, director general of the national police force and who signs the declaration.

According to the institution, the correct use of the mask, physical distancing and avoidance of crowds are necessary.

Likewise, the police warned that those immersed in “Behaviors contrary to coexistence (such as those which go against biosecurity measures) could be the subject of a subpoena under the National Code of Security and Citizen Coexistence”.

The officer said police will use planes and drones that will fly over the streets to ensure the peace and safety of citizens. General Javier Martín, commander of the Bucaramanga police, said there will be 900 men in uniform who will accompany the march and the routes through which it will pass.

Tomorrow, we have put in place a reinforced security component to guarantee the demonstration. Men and women capable of controlling and maintaining public order.

For his part, the commander of the metropolitan police, General Pablo Ferney Ruiz Garzón He announced that in Medellín there would be two thousand uniformed staff of the institution, to take care of the march and stressed the need for biosecurity regulations to prevent the increase in infections. He assured that there will be a helicopter that will be aware of any anomalies that may arise.

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