COLOMBIA NEEDS SUPPORT

25 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: jan/feb 2026 :: RMTnews In the spring Colombians will go to the polls. They face a choice between a progressive government coalition or a return to the neoliberal and militaristic politics of the past. It is a key moment, and one in which Colombian unions and civil society need our support against a powerful international alliance of far- right forces. Most trade unionists know that Colombia was and remains a very dangerous place for labour organising. For decades, the country was torn by internal armed conflict that right-wing political elites, working alongside the army and paramilitaries, used to legitimise the state’s targeting of social activists and trade unionists. There has been widespread civil resistance to privatisation and public spending cuts that massively increased inequality. More than seven thousand railway workers lost their jobs when the country dismantled its rail network. Violence and repression helped make Colombia one of the world’s most unequal countries. After years of struggle for peace by Colombian unions and social movement, in 2016 the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the country’s largest guerrilla insurgency, the FARC. The agreement provided a roadmap for dealing with the structural causes of conflict, while the end of fighting showed that the guerrillas weren’t the cause of all Colombia’s ills. Then Covid exposed the failings of Colombia’s economic and healthcare systems, as the absence of state support increased poverty levels and hammered home the idea that Colombia needed change. In 2022, the people elected President Gustavo Petro on the promise to start building a fairer society. His campaign was supported by social movements, trade unions and conflict-affected communities. Given a mandate to implement transformative policies sorely needed in Colombia, the Petro government embarked on reducing inequality through social and economic reforms. But those who hold power and wealth don’t like to relinquish it without a fight. Petro’s government has faced intense opposition in the political institutions and media. The lack of a congressional majority has impeded the administration’s efforts to pass education, healthcare and labour rights reforms. But still real wages have grown, rural poverty is falling and child malnutrition is down by a third. Yet despite important steps forward, Colombia remains haunted by violence. Killings have fallen but social activists are still under attack: last year at least ten trade unionists, including transport workers, have been killed. The Petro government has far exceeded its predecessors in improving protection for targeted groups, but far-right paramilitaries and other armed groups still attack community activists and former FARC guerrillas in the peace process. This means that Justice for Colombia’s campaign work – on behalf of the British and Irish trade union movements that fully fund it – is as important today as ever. JFC has long lobbied internationally for diplomatic support for peacebuilding, an end to anti-union repression and justice for victims of state and paramilitary violence. Today, we finally have a progressive government in Colombia that supports that agenda. But much still needs to be done. At this critical moment for Colombia, we need your support to help Colombian unions organise workers and push for pro-worker legal reforms, to advance community peace initiatives and to lobby for effective implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. Colombians are striving to turn the promises contained in the peace agreement into reality. At this crucial time, you can affiliate your branch to JFC and play your part in Colombia’s road to peace. For more information on JFC’s work and to affiliate your branch, visit www.justiceforcolombia.org COLOMBIA NEEDS SUPPORT Justice for Colombia outlines the need for solidarity SOLIDARITY: The Pazcífico Human Rights Centre protects those under threat including displaced families, activists falsely labelled insurgents, and protesters unjustly imprisoned during the 2021 wave of protests sparked by inequality, state violence, and a proposed tax reform that grew into a broader demand for justice and dignity. Through JFC they get financial support from Irish trade union FORSA.