The men of Barbacoas, a municipality in the southwest of Colombia, have upped the ante with a protest of their own in response to the sex strike started just five days ago by the women of their town.
Last week, over 300 women united together in a “crossed legs strike,” withholding sex from their partners until the road conditions in their town were improved.
After some initial frustration, men have decided to facilitate the protest against the corrupt local government by taking to their central park on Saturday to stage a hunger strike.
“[Men] have come together with women with a hunger strike. This is not improvised, this is a process that began a year ago to reclaim respect for human rights and gender advocacy,” a local Circuit court judge said.
The road is a major cause for concern, as it is the only way in and out of the town. It currently takes eight to 10 hours to travel less than 60 miles to the nearest town, the capital city of Nariño. As a result, dozens of people have died on the treacherous route before they were able to receive medical attention at the nearest hospital.
The National Roads Institute assigned the project to a battalion of military engineers who have until July 1 to start construction, although they claim research and paperwork are hindering their efforts.
Residents of Barbacoas are no strangers to public corruption and misuse of their funds. Several years ago, one mayor used public funds to pay for caskets and pigeon food, despite the absence of pigeons and deaths in their town that year.
According to the news site El Espectador, another mayor didn’t pay her employees at all. At the end of her term, the employees stole office supplies and furniture, including desks, chairs, typewriters, and even windows.
Whether or not Barbacoans’ abstinence from their two most human of rights, food and sex, will have an effect on local authorities is yet to be determined.