2024-09-05 17:10:29
The Government, in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the protests led by the transport union, has proposed suspending further increases in the price of diesel fuel, while alternative adjustments are evaluated.
This measure seeks to ease tensions and meet the demands of transporters, who have been on strike since September 1.
María Constanza García, Minister of Transport, offered details of the ongoing negotiations. “The President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro Urrego, reiterates his interest in maintaining dialogue during these days of demonstrations, where we have limited the use of force. We believe in a solution through dialogue. It is a historic moment where we listen to the bases of the transport union,” said the minister, underlining the Government’s commitment to finding a negotiated solution.
One of the main proposals of the Government is the suspension of new increases in the price of diesel fuel, which had initially been projected for the coming months.. In addition, Minister García explained that the possibility of modifying the current resolution has been raised so that the monthly increase in fuel prices is 200 pesos until December. “We are seeking to make this adjustment more progressive and less abrupt for the sector,” she said.
According to the minister, the dialogue also seeks to address structural problems in the transport sector. To this end, technical meetings have been set up to discuss fundamental issues with the leaders of the union. “Our proposal is to support the measure with the development of working groups and to address the just causes that they face today, in order to democratize transport in the country. This implies taking actions that go beyond what has been proposed during these days,” added García.
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Among the main points of discussion, the Government has put two major challenges on the table: the deficit of the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund, which in 2023 reached 20.5 billion pesos, and the historical unmet demands that the transport union has been pointing out in recent decades.
Humanitarian corridors and guarantee of rights
Minister García also called on the transport union to keep humanitarian corridors open at the protest points.allowing the transit of people who require special constitutional protection. “We call for maintaining humanitarian corridors at the protest points, where respect for the fundamental rights of other citizens prevails,” said the official.
The Government, through the Ministry of Transport, highlighted the peaceful conduct of most of the protests so far and reaffirmed its commitment to respect the right to demonstrate, provided that it does not interfere with the rights of third parties.
Since the beginning of the protests on September 1, the Government has coordinated actions with the Ministries of Finance, Mines, Labor and the Interior to address the demands of the sector. As a first step, a Unified Command Post (PMU) was set up and a dialogue table was started with the participation of more than 950 people, both in person and virtually. “In these spaces we also had the support of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police,” the Ministry of Transport highlighted in a statement.
The National Government continues to evaluate proposals to find a solution that benefits both the transport union and the country’s economy, while talks are ongoing with the leaders of the sector in search of a negotiated solution to the strike.
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