National Unemployment Committee announces protests will continue in Colombia and calls for withdrawal of tax reform

On Wednesday evening and after a long day of protests across the country, the National Unemployment Committee announced that the protests would continue and once again called on the national government to withdraw the tax reform bill.

“Citizens call on the national government to stop being arrogant and indolent, to effectively protect leaders and social leaders, to implement the peace agreement, to strengthen health care, to speed up vaccination, to guarantee the basic income of a minimum wage, zero registration and support for small businesses, and respect democratic guarantees ”, insured.

Likewise, he called that tomorrow, in a massive, peaceful manner and with biosecurity measures, continue this day of strike and propose that on May 19 a national strike return.

In his balance, he ensured that they filled the streets and squares in more than 500 municipalities in the country and in about 50 cities abroad. “We stress that in addition to the sectors gathered within the National Unemployment Committee, other sectors of society have joined the call. Colombians resume the momentum started on November 21, 2019, and we have the possibility of widening it to achieve the objectives of life, peace, democracy and rights, ”said the committee.

The committee also celebrates that despite the peak of the pandemic, “ the stigmatization of the strike promoted by the central government and some media, the history of police violence against protesters and the unusual order of a court magistrate administration of Cundinamarca, which ordered the suspension of the strike ”, won a“ magnificent citizen expression of autonomy, civility and democracy ”.

“We reject the large number of repressive actions by the police, in particular Esmad, aimed at dissolving and preventing mobilizations, the disproportionate use of force, the arrests of several demonstrators, acts which have injured dozens of people “, National Unemployment Committee.

Once again, they ask Iván Duque to withdraw the tax reform. “It is clear that the citizens are asking for the withdrawal of the tax reform and that the congress votes on its file and rejects the law 010 on health”, they underline.

This Wednesday, the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, assured in the program ‘Prevention and Action’ that there is a lot of concern about events like April 28 with the day of the demonstrations, which may lead the country in the next two weeks to a more complex situation facing the contagion by covid-19 in this third peak.

“The agglomerations we have seen today generate an absolutely obvious risk for us at a time when the situation in the country shows that we have significant limitations in the availability of ICUs. We must call on Colombians at this time to fully maintain biosecurity. measures ”, commented the Minister.

Likewise, he assured that citizens should use personal protective items such as a mask and others inside houses in the coming days.

In addition, presidential candidate Sergio Fajardo on Wednesday asked Colombian President Iván Duque to withdraw the controversial tax reform which began its official discussion Tuesday at the Congress of the Republic.

“The government is forced to listen. President, Iván Duque, withdraw the tax reform now, there is still time to make agreements with the different social sectors. Discontent is real and there is no room for deafness», Assured Fajardo.

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