May day 2023: Colombia - Workers have no stake in bosses’ dogfighting

Here in Colombia the new government of Gustavo Petro has managed to curb the militancy of the workers, who are waiting for the campaign promises that will never be fulfilled. Our class must not fall for the illusions of change and postpone our revolutionary communist fight in favor of parliamentary and electoral illusions.

Meanwhile, the movement behind former president Alvaro Uribe has not resigned itself to losing its power. It tries to channel the phony promises of the new government and the discontent over the measures that affect the workers into backing their faction. They make statements appealing to easing the cost of living, health and education. They even call for mobilization against the new government.

Some from the former Uribe government even speak of coup intentions and audios have been published that would support these rumors. Although they currently do not have the strength to prepare a coup attempt, with their rhetoric of hate and war they are gaining the support of warmongering soldiers. They are also training their drug-trafficking gangs and even pay vulnerable migrant workers to carry out violent provocations during their rallies and demonstrations, attacking those who disagree.

The current government -- seconded by their congress and union misleaders -- have called to the streets to “support the reforms” without even publishing the content of said reforms. This is because they prefer to arrange things with capitalists and other class enemies, negotiating for the approval of capitalist development “with a human face.” In reality, their reforms are not radical at all but this wing has succeeded in blunting the militancy of workers here nevertheless. The ability of these social fascists to deceive our class while attacking us even harder than the gutter fascists is what makes them more dangerous. We are being called to take to the streets to support and defend the government’s reforms which in fact means mobilizing to support capitalism, wage slavery, racism and private property.

We in PLP are convinced of the need to destroy the current capitalist society entirely. We are committed to root changes that really point towards the structural solution of the problems of the workers, the poor and the oppressed. The reforms proposed by the Government will continue to preserve the privileges of the powerful, which are in turn arranged and haggled over and over again in Congress, with the exploitative capitalists along with representatives of US imperialism. No workers’ or youth input is seriously considered regarding the true nature of this society.

While they make us promises and call us to support their projects, the cost of living skyrockets, wages stagnate, and police continue to kill with impunity. More than 300 young people and workers remain in prison for participating in the struggles of the recent years. Figures report that there is 58% “informality,” that is, unemployment, and millions more with racist contracts of super-exploitation.

The demands that we need from below are not going to come from the negotiation with the bosses and imperialists. The demands for health, employment, wages, the destruction of racism and sexism will not be resolved by concerting to preserve bourgeois and political interests. The streets should be ours, but not to defend the government, much less to support fascism. The streets must be reoccupied to fight in revolutionary unity, to resolve the demands and needs demanded in the multiple popular uprisings.

For more than 20 years we have been supporting different types of workers’ struggle, making space for discussion, and building a base of friends and readers for communism. The current struggles of the farm workers, drivers, builders, the unemployed, housing workers, women’s organizations, students, and sports clubs must unite in a great solidarity struggle to achieve revolutionary class consciousness, advancing the revolutionary process. The anger of the workers has a growing understanding that the profit system of destroys the life of the workers all over the world by radicalizing the current struggles from Peru to France to England and beyond.

Our newspaper CHALLENGE gives us the understanding of what these battles are about; our task is to create a mass base for communism by helping new leaders emerge and fighting to destroy capitalism and its racist, sexist wage system! We have no other choice –Join us!