On Friday, a good many number of reports on the most recent actions of the comrades in Colombia surfaced on the website El Comunero depicting the great initiatives and successful campaigns launched and led by the comrades of MESP and MERyP. The following is a brief summery on the actions of the comrades in recent weeks.
Boycott Campaign
On the 27th of May presidential elections are going to take place in Colombia. Using the slogan “Don’t Vote! Fight for revolution!” student activists of MESP and MERyP developed a campaign denouncing the electoral farce. At the Medellins University of Antioquia posters and dazibaos were put up. As the comrades point out, no promise ever made by the “left” candidates of such (and any) elections – who have found a comfortable place for themselves in the cradle of the parliamentary system and now preach of the great importance to vote – have ultimately broken the chain of exploitation nor has revolutionary change ever been achieved through the ballot box.
“In Colombia: 1% own 60% of all the productive land and 0.11% of the companies concentrate 90.1% of the income and gross estate. These are the exploiting classes, which are at the service of imperialism and it is them who decide about the government of the state. The elections are disputes between the above, are a way in which settle their differences on how to better exploit the people and are also a way to disguise the dictatorship they exert over all of us and an attempt to legitimize the exploitation.”
Campaign to support the political prisoners in India
Using the slogans “Stop Green Hunt”, “Freedom for Saibaba, Ajith and Kobad and all political prisoners in India” and “Long live the just struggles of the oppressed people in India and the world” the Colombian comrades added their voice to the chorus of internationalist, anti-imperialist and revolutionary forces who loudly demand the immediate release of Saibaba, professor at the University of New Delhi, and rallied to support the political prisoners in India. For this campaign, the comrades made the following poster:
8th of March Campaign
On the 8th of March a detachment of the MESP organized a manifestation in front of the production site of the cosmetics company Prebel, who is – among others – subcontracted by German cosmetics company Wella. As most of the workforce exploited at Prebels production site is female, the place right out site the companies gate was well chosen to address the issues of proletarian women.
Despite attempts by the companies directors to disrupt and sabotage the activities by loudly playing music, giving false information, attempts of intimidation, etc. the activity was a great success. Multiple speeches were held, leaflets were handed out to the workers of the factory, vivid discussions developed, music was played and a theater performance was made.
Student protests
The 7th of March marked a national day of action to mobilize students all over Colombia to organize and fight against the continuous underfunding of the higher education at the Universities that is getting worse and worse with each budget cut made under the pretext of the financial crisis. Additionally, the comrades addressed the question of opening higher education to much broader sections of the people, especially the children of workers and peasants. In a demonstration in Medellin, the comrades took the initiative to successfully block the central road in front of the University of Antioquia, boldly organizing the masses, while the revisionists waveringly held back.
This article can be found here in German
