Students Reach Deal with Colombia Gov’t, Yet to Call Off Strike

After two months of strike, 16 talks with the government, and 13 massive marches  Colombian students reached an agreement with the government of President Ivan Duque, who has pledged an additional 4.5 trillion pesos (US$1.4 billion) for public universities.

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A government delegation and spokespeople for Colombian students met throughout Thursday, finally reaching an agreement Friday afternoon.

The agreement was signed despite the brutal repression that ensued Thursday as police tried to disperse protesters demanding a higher budget for education, and end to state repression and to the murder of social leaders.

At least eight were seriously injured and one student lost his eye after being hit by a stun grenade.

According to local news site Semana, despite the agreement, each university will have to decide if they lift the strike and when they would do it.

According to the presidency, the agreements reached in the talks are a “product of joint efforts between the national government and the education community of the different public institutions of higher education.”

Of the 4.5 trillion pesos, 1.3 will go to investment in infrastructure, student welfare, and professor’s training and education, among others.

The agreements did not include guarantees for social leaders and human rights defenders, currently targeted and murdered by paramilitary groups with impunity. There was no government compromise on the matter of police repression and the need to guarantee Colombians' right to protest.

Disclaimer: the original article reported 4.5 billion pesos. In Colombia, billion is used to refer to a trillion. We have changed the number to reflect this.