Colombia - June 26th, 2021

Words by María Aguirre, retired teacher from the Colombian public system, of Santa Rosa of Cabal, Eje Cafetero, Colombia

“The police are killing the youth, that they are gouging out them eyes, that they are disappearing and that their bodies are being found dismembered in the rivers”

Hello, I am María Cecilia Aguirre, a public education teacher for many years here in Colombia. First of all, I want to thank the organizers of this important event. A solidarity event with Colombia of international solidarity was much needed.
I also thank all the people from all the countries of the world who are participating. I wanted to say that two months ago Colombia was a country where its population resigned itself to endure poor living conditions with an informal economy, with the youth totally excluded from the rights to education, health...

But three months ago, in the midst of this pandemic, the government dared to carry out a tax reform against the poor and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back and the social outbreak broke out.

Then they appeared and the world noticed them, the boys from the poorest neighborhoods of Colombia armed an army and defended themselves only with tin shields and they went out to fight for all Colombians.
The whole world needs to know that the police are killing them, that they are gouging out them eyes, that they are disappearing and that their bodies are being found dismembered in the rivers.

The whole world has to know that we are being ruled by one of the most corrupt and bloodthirsty bourgeoisies in the world.