Colombian privatisation battle

Workers from the SINTRAEMCALI union in Colombia's second-largest city, Cali, have struck a massive blow against neo-liberalism and privatisation in Colombia after a month-long occupation succeeded in keeping the utility company EMCALI in public hands.

On Christmas Day, 800 workers from the union occupied water, electricity and telecoms company EMCALI's 17-storey Central Administration Building (CAM Tower), protesting at plans to privatise the company and at the sacking of the General Manager Juan Manuel Pulido. EMCALI had been plagued for years by chronic mismanagement and corruption, but since early 2001 had been managed by Mr Pulido, the SINTRAEMCALI union and the city mayor and its performance was improving. The central government used debts and financing problems for a new water treatment plant as an excuse to call for privatisation, as prescribed by the IMF, but the workers are determined to keep the company public. The occupation called for an end to the privatisation plans, maintenance of low prices for energy, water and telecommunications for the poor families of the region and for an investigation into earlier corruption in the company. On 30th January, all these demands were met and the occupation ended peacefully.

The protest included much more than the occupation of the building; thousands congregated, where a makeshift open-air canteen known as 'Thatcher's Kitchen' produced food for the workers and a stage was set up for speakers and entertainment. Marches in support of the occupation drew tens of thousands, and on 24th January blocakades and strikes shut down large parts of the city and many of the roads out. The massive groundswell of support for the occupiers is the result of years of grassroots mobilisation and solidarity work among the poor of the city.
The triumph on 30th January has since been soured by the murder, on 11th February, of community leader and occupation participant Julio Galeano, apparently by right-wing paramilitaries. Mr Galeano was shot dead as he and his wife left their house for work early in the morning. He had previously been the victim of harassment by the Colombian military, culminating in faked arms charges against him in 1998, which led to him being illegally detained for 32 months.

The murder of Julio Galeano follows death threats during the occupation; Colombia's right-wing paramilitaries (who have considerable support among the police and military and some parts of the media) perceive any left-wing activity as a threat to be countered by intimidation and violence. During a previous dispute over an attempt to privatise the company, six SINTRAEMCALI workers were assassinated.
The Colombia Solidarity Campaign is asking people to write to Colombian officials calling for a full investigation into the murder of Julio Galeano and protection from harassment for community workers.
full details on: http://uk.indymedia.org/ front.php3?article_id=22631
or contact: Colombia Solidarity Campaign, PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ. Tel 07950 923448, email colombia_sc@hotmail.com