Here in Colombia voices are being heard against the war in Afghanistan. Protests have already been held in Bogota and Medellin (a student march against the intervention being held yesterday in the latter city). And the general strike calld by the trade union centrals for Tuesday November 1st has added opposition to the war in Afghanistan to its list of issues.
The local warmongers have expressed their glee at Washington's recent promise of special extra 'aid' on top of that contained in the Plan Colombia, now overtly to fight the left nationalist guerrilla movements as part of the 'anti-terrorist' drive.
The general strike has been billed as 'civic' which supposedly means involving more than the traditional unionised sectors. But this has been criticized for being more rhetoric than reality. (See Colombia indymedia). The urban working class (or rather not working, given the huge unemployment rate) is largely demobilized as it is the paramilitaries rather than the armed left who are 'taking the cities'. In cities like Cali, Medellin, Barranca they have brought or are trying to bring all the neighborhood gangs under their authority. This has made political activity in the community more difficult, as opposed to selective vanguardist "terrorist" actions.