The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-08
Government Of
Colombia Slave
OF Imperialism

BOGOTA, Columbia, March CBy
MaiD Economically this is one of
the most backward countries. Her
natural resources are attracting the
covetous attention of foreign capital.
The British were the first on the
field to exploit local possibilities. They
were followed by the Americans who
began to seize the sources of raw
material and to take possession Of
the Columbian market as a dumping
ground for their goods. And at
present, foreign capital keeps tight
grip on all of the most important
/ branches of industry and commerce.
The present government of Column
bia is intellectually devoted to the
interests Of foreign capital, and par
ticularly to American capital. The
Americans, by granting to the Column
bian government one loan after an
other, forced it to give them the best
concessions in the mining and coffee
districts. Here the American imper-
ialists feel themselves at home; they
have their own police, tn cir own legis-
lation and even their own currency.
What are the conditions of the work
ers, who are subject to exploitation
of both their own as well as foreign
capitalists?
Starvation Existence
There are at present over 100000
skilled workers in Columbia, and
about 100000 agricultural laborers.
On the coffee and fruits owing plan
tations piece-work prevails. Whole
families, men, women and children
are engaged on this work, but their
joint earnings scarcely afford them
more than a semi-starvation exis-
. tence.
The working day lasts from 8 to
10 hours in industrial enterprises,
and from II to IA hours in agricul-
tuFe. In many parts of the country
work goes on under conditions re-
miniscent of the days of slavery.
The workers are deprived of any in
dependence. Their wages are ex-
tremely low. Their housing quarters
belong to the foreign capitalists or
to big local landowners. They are
forced to do all their buying in shops
belonging to the employers, who die
tate the prices. AS a result Of this
system the workers are perpetuaIly
in debt to their employers. The
slightest attempt to protest is i'm
mediately suppressed by special DO
lice, employed by the bosses, who do
not stop at any measures including
even murder. In brief, the life of
the Columbian worker has much in
common with that Of workers in
colonies.
The Labor Movement.
Up to 1922 the labor movement of
the country was under the strong in
fluence of the American Federation
Of Labor. According to statistics
published by the American FEEDER
alton of Labor in 1922 100000 Column
bian workers were represented at
the congress Of Central American
organizations in 1921. This, of course.
is far from the truth, for at this time
the membership of the Columbian
trade unions did not exceed 10000,
In 1923 left wing, consisting of
anarchists and socialists, formed it.
self within these trade unions. This
wing tried to give revolutionary
orientation to the Columbian trade
union movement. At the congress in
1924 at which $4,000 workers were
represented, one third of the votes
fell to the share of the left wing ele-
ments, who afterwards became the
Communist Party. At this congress
a National Trade Union Centre was
formed, imbued with revolutionary
spirit and aspiring to join the r. I. !
l.. u.
Move Declared Illegal.
The congress also adopted a resolu-
ton about the necessity of an armed
rising. In reply to this the govern
ment declared the movement illegal
and began to prosecute the trade
unions. The best leaders of the
working class were either thrown
into prison or deported.
The reactionary period continued
up TO the middle OF 1925. BY this
time the trade unions had organized