Colombian Workers Remain Open to Dialogue with President Duque

The Central Union of Workers (CUT) President Francisco Maltes on Friday informed that his organization agrees to dialogue with Colombia's President Ivan Duque to negotiate an end to the anti-government protests.

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"The CUT is ready to negotiate with the government. We just need Duque to set a day, a time, and a place. So far, there are only formalities and generalities that do not set the exact time to negotiate," Maltes assured.

During the meeting, the organization will discuss with Duque its 2020 Emergency Plan, which seeks to decrease poverty levels in the country.

"We will not only dialogue. We will insist to put an end to the country's militarization... Protesting is a human right, shooting at the people is State Terrorism," the CUT leader stressed.

"We will keep protesting in the streets until the beginning of the negotiations is defined," Maltes said and rejected that the government has postponed the date of the meeting several times.

On Thursday, Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace Miguel Ceballos assured that Duque was willing to meet with the protesters that same day. Hours later, however, the government announced the meeting would take place on May 10.

CUT representatives fear Duque will again postpone the dialogue, and that citizens will continue to die in the streets at the hands of the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) officials.