2024-09-03 18:07:04
The Colombian Truck Drivers Association (ACC), together with its 17 branches nationwide, issued a statement in which they also reject the recent increase in the price of diesel fuel, decreed by the national government through the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.
This increase, effective from August 31, 2024, This has generated deep unrest in the transport union, which considers it an arbitrary measure and contrary to the agreements previously established with the President of the Republic in 2022.
In the statement, the ACC emphasizes that, during 18 months of negotiations, in which it participated together with the United Transport Inter-Union Chamber, it became clear that the formula used by Ecopetrol to calculate the price of diesel fuel did not reflect the country’s needs and had serious flaws. However, the government unilaterally decided to increase the price, without considering the alternative proposals presented by the union.
They point out that the increase in diesel fuel will directly impact the 4,000 richest transporters in the country and the family basket of the 50 million Colombiansin addition to affecting the cost of fuel and the cost structure of the entire transport sector. The ACC denounces that this government decision not only puts the economic stability of thousands of families at risk, but also erodes the weakest link in the transport chain, represented by truck drivers.
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The situation has escalated to a critical point, with the ACC accusing the government of President Gustavo Petro of persecuting and stigmatizing the transport union.The statement said the president used his social media account X to accuse ACC executives of being linked to Uribe supporters and destabilizing plans, comparing the situation to the coup d’état in Chile in 1972.
The ACC said it categorically rejects these accusations and considers them an attempt to discredit the union’s peaceful protest, which has been defending its rights for 28 years. The association has requested the intervention of the Human Rights Commission of the Congress of the Republic, as well as the Ombudsman’s Office and international organizations, such as the UN, to protect their constitutional rights to protest.
In response to the growing tension, the ACC has decided to refrain from participating in any type of protest until further notice.due to the lack of security guarantees for its members and the stigmatization to which they are subjected. However, they reaffirmed their right to protest peacefully and to exert pressure for the respect of the agreements previously reached with the government.
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