Latin America Marks May
Day Mostly With Protests
Hundreds of thousands of
workers on Thursday
throughout Latin America
took to the streets on
May Day, protesting
against food shortage
and unemployment, and
demanding better labor
conditions and wages.
Workers from most labor
sectors participated in
the march throughout
Latin America, including
peasants, educators,
government employees,
and sex workers, while
some people affiliated
to labor unions and
others marched as
independent workers.
In Mexico, about 70,000
workers from 30
independent labor unions
marched to demand that
the government stop food
shortage and
unemployment.
In Peru, this day was
marked by the death of
four workers in a labor
accident and by
complaints against an
alleged political
persecution of human
rights defenders.
Mario Huaman, secretary
general of Peru's
General Workers
Confederation (CGTP),
criticized enterprises
"that murder workers,"
referring to a landslide
that buried four workers
in a construction site
in Lima on Wednesday.
Huaman protested against
the high cost of living
and Peruvian President
Alan Garcia's
"modernization" process,
which, according to him,
is to "give away" all
the natural resources
and lands to
international
enterprises.
In Bolivia, during a
Labor Day ceremony held
in La Paz, President Evo
Morales rejected a
report published by the
United States claiming
that Bolivia is a
country potentially
capable of terrorist
activities.
Morales demanded that
the U.S. withdraw its
troops from Iraq ifit is
really fighting
terrorism.
In Santiago, capital of
Chile, hooded protesters
clashed with police as a
Labor Day march
concluded, leaving 96
people arrested.
In Ecuador, over 15,000
people participated in
Labor Day march to
protest against labor
subcontracting and
hourly wage work.
The celebration
coincides with the
Constituent Assembly's
elimination of labor
subcontracting, which
used to allow
enterprises to contract
cheap labor through
enterprises.
Ecuadorian President
Rafael Correa criticized
state guilds for
enjoying too many
privileges contrary to
most Ecuadorians.
In Guatemala, thousands
of workers urged to put
an end to general
corruption and basic
food price hikes, and
stop the high cost of
living affecting most of
this Central American
country's population.
In Nicaragua, opposition
labor union celebrated
the day with
demonstrations and
called on the government
to stop food price hikes
and create more jobs.
In Cuba, half a million
people headed by
socialist Cuban leader
Raul Castro show their
loyalty to the
revolutionary government
during the main Labor
Day ceremony in this
Caribbean country.
Cuban workers urged to
continue "the road
marked by Fidel (Castro)
towards a more humane
and efficient
socialism."
In Venezuela, thousands
of people participated
in different Labor Day
ceremonies throughout
this South American
country led by President
Hugo Chavez, who on
Wednesday made a 30
percent increase in the
minimum pay to all
workers in Venezuela.
In Paraguay,
President-elect Fernando
Lugo participated in the
Labor Day celebrations,
the first time an
incoming president in
this South American
country is invited to
participate.
On April 20, Lugo won
the presidential
elections while running
for the Patriotic
Alliance for Change (APC),
and his victory has put
an end to right-wing
Colorado Party's 61
years of uninterrupted
rule.
In El Salvador's
capital, San Salvador,
thousands of people
marched through its
streets to protest
against price hikes and
the wage and job crisis
in this Central American
country, among other
labor problems.
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