More than 600,000 demonstrators, mostly farmers, unskilled-low skilled laborers and Indians shut down almost all of Colombia today in a series of 32 separate marches, blocking highways, closing government offices, schools and many private factories and offices. The two main thrusts of the protest were no re-election and against the pending free trade agreement with the United States. The local small farmers and farm workers are afraid (and with good reason) that if the agreement goes through that the United States will flood the local food market with subsidized grain (in other words, "dumping") and drive them out of business. MOST (but not all) of the demonstrations were peaceful, however, yesterday an elderly Indian man in a protest march died from tear gas, and 15 others required medical treatment either from tear gas or blows from police clubs. Also, some Indian leader (darn, totally drawing a blank on his name and can't find the article again) from Valle (the state of which Cali is the capital) was assassinated by three bullets at close range as he was leaving his home to join the march.....no suspects as yet, additional protests are planned for tomorrow.
