Solidarity with the working people of Colombia
The Red
In the face of the earthquake: all our solidarity and support for workers’ organization!
The International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles expresses its profound solidarity with the working people of Colombia in the face of the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on August 10, 2026.
The earthquake caused hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, people reported missing, and enormous damage to homes, hospitals, schools, roads, and other public infrastructure. The earthquake was centered in San José del Palmar, in the department of Chocó, a territory that has historically been neglected by the State, where roads, communications, access to medical care and drinking water, as well as the poor condition of buildings, have long been major problems for the population. Among the cities most affected are Pereira, Cali, Manizales, and Quibdó, while communities in Chocó and other regions face enormous difficulties in receiving assistance.
At this moment of pain, we extend our solidarity to the families of the victims, the injured, the missing, and all the affected communities. Our solidarity is especially directed toward the working class and popular sectors, who suffer the consequences of a catastrophe of this magnitude most severely.
An earthquake is a natural phenomenon. But the scale of its consequences is neither natural nor inevitable. Precarious housing, social inequality, lack of infrastructure, the absence of adequate prevention policies, and the deterioration of living and working conditions determine who will be most exposed to risk and who will have better conditions to survive and rebuild their lives. Therefore, local governments, the national government, and housing developers have concrete responsibilities in the face of this tragedy.
The Colombian State must place all available resources at the service of the victims: specialized teams, hospitals, machinery, communication equipment, transportation, food, water, medicines, shelters, and all the necessary infrastructure to locate and rescue people trapped under the rubble.
It is not enough to declare an emergency or announce resources. It is necessary to guarantee that these resources reach the affected communities immediately.
RESCUE AND SOLIDARITY, NOT MILITARY CONTROL OF THE POPULATION
The International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles also expresses its concern and criticism regarding the measures adopted by the local authorities in Cali and Pereira.
In Cali, the Mayor’s Office imposed a curfew and ordered the militarization of different points in the city. In Pereira, a curfew was also imposed. The authorities justified these measures by citing the need to prevent looting and guarantee security during the emergency. But in the face of tragedy, solidarity and security organized by the community must prevail. What concerns the national and local governments is the defense of the private property of major merchants and business owners.
As in Venezuela, the Colombian government is proving inadequate in responding to the emergency with relief teams, machinery, and appropriate tools. The government’s far-right ideology is also neglecting rescue efforts by immediately accepting assistance from rescuers from other countries, such as Mexico, which has extensive experience in this type of operation.
It is incomprehensible that the Colombian government of Abelardo de la Espriella only accepts “aid” from the governments of Israel, Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States, arguing that they are “the only countries that comply with international protocols.” This means that it only accepts conditional and self-interested aid from governments that follow the orders and obedience of Trump and Netanyahu.
In a catastrophe situation, the Armed Forces and the entire state apparatus must be mobilized as a priority for rescue, removing people from the rubble, transporting the injured, distributing humanitarian aid, and supporting communities, rather than turning working-class neighborhoods into territories of control and surveillance.
We question what the State’s priority should be when a population is buried, injured, and homeless. The experience of these first hours is revealing. While the authorities reinforce the security apparatus, residents, workers, firefighters, rescuers, and volunteers are organizing themselves to save lives. There are reports of volunteers working among the rubble and using the tools available to try to locate survivors.
They are ordinary men and women who, many times, arrive before adequate teams and put their own bodies at risk to help their neighbors.
The State must immediately provide heavy equipment, tools, lighting, water, food, medical care, and all the technical support necessary so that this popular force can act safely and effectively.
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY OF THE WORKING CLASS
The International Labour Network of Solidarity and Struggles calls on all organizations that are members of the Network, as well as all trade union and popular organizations around the world, to strengthen solidarity with Colombian workers and the Colombian people.
We must support fundraising and collection initiatives for food, water, medicines, materials, tools, and emergency equipment, always in coordination with the trade union, popular, and community organizations that are acting directly in the affected regions.
We also propose building an international trade union solidarity campaign, ensuring that the resources raised are allocated directly to the needs of the affected populations.
WE DEMAND:
● Immediate and comprehensive rescue of all missing and buried people;
● Mobilization of all available public infrastructure to save lives;
● Use of the Armed Forces as a priority for rescue, assistance, and reconstruction operations, and not for repression or control of working-class neighborhoods;
● Sufficient equipment, machinery, and tools for rescue teams and volunteers;
● Free medical, psychological, and humanitarian assistance for victims;
● Decent and safe housing for all affected families;
● Protection of the jobs and wages of affected workers;
● No dismissals, wage cuts, or withdrawal of rights as a consequence of the tragedy;
● Reconstruction of affected areas under the control and oversight of the population and workers’ organizations;
● Full transparency regarding public resources allocated to the emergency and reconstruction;
● Absolute priority to social needs rather than the interests of large economic groups;
● Respect for the organization and solidarity of affected communities.
