The Colombian government on Friday failed to come to an agreement with representatives from the country’s coffee growers to put an end to the massive country-wide strike.
As the demonstrations push on into their fifth day, Colombia’s ministers of labor, agriculture, finance, and the interior, announced that after a 13-hour meeting with protest representatives, an accord could not be reached. Interior Minister Fernando Carrillo reiterated that the government was eager to reach a deal with the protestors who are striking over a perceived lack of government subsidies during this trying period for the industry. According to Caracol Radio, Carrillo said that the government was willing to increase subsides to coffee growers by 50%.
BACKGROUND: Thousands of Colombia’s coffee workers go on strike
The governor of the southwest department of Cauca,
Sources
- No hubo acuerdo entre Gobierno y Cafeteros para levantar paro (Caracol Radio)
- Continua el paro: No hubo acuerdo entre el Gobierno y los caficultores (El Colombiano)