On Wednesday, July 27, the social organizations and trade unions which have been mobilizing across Panama in rejection of the high cost of living and neoliberalism since July 1, reached an another agreement with President Laurentino Cortizo.
On the 28th day of the national strike and the 8th day of the negotiation process, the representatives of the People United for Life Alliance from the capital Panama City, the National Alliance for the Rights of the Organized People (ANADEPO) from Veraguas, and the Indigenous Peoples Alliance signed an agreement with the Cortizo government to reduce and freeze the price of fuel at USD 3.25 per gallon for the next three months, through a decree which will be renewable.
Fernando Abrego, general secretary of the Association of Teachers of Panama (ASOPROF) and one of the representatives of the People United for Life Alliance, said, “Every achievement made on the single dialogue table is the result of the struggle in the streets for a better Panama,” said Abrego in conversation with Prensa Latina.
After almost a month of national strike, Panamanian social organizations and trade unions have signed two agreements with the right-wing government to reduce and freeze the price of fuel and essential commodities. (Photo: CONUSI/Twitter)
Several victories this week have been won by struggling workers, unions, left parties and other people's formations.
At the end of its fifth national conference, the Democratic Way in Morocco announced the formation of a new political party, the Workers’ Democratic Way Party, as a party of the working class with a socialist and anti-imperialist ideology. The three-day conference was held in Rabat on July 22, 23 and 24.
The newly-inaugurated Colombian Senate, in its first plenary session on July 26, with 74 votes in favor and 22 against, ratified the Escazú agreement, which promotes environmental protection. The approval brings the agreement one step closer to being ratified in the country as a whole. Senator Iván Cepeda of the left-wing Historic Pact coalition, the main promoter of ratification, celebrated its approval as the “first victory” of the incoming government.
On July 25, Pope Francis apologized to Indigenous peoples on behalf of the Catholic Church, for the Church’s running of residential schools in Canada. Residential schools received renewed condemnation in 2021 when hundreds of graves of Indigenous children were discovered on the grounds of such schools. Indigenous groups called for the cancellation of the patriotic “Canada Day” in 2021, a day after 182 graves were found near the former St. Eugene’s Mission School in British Columbia. In August of 2021, protesters toppled a statue of John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada and the “architect” of residential schools.
Senator María José Pizarro, supporter of the Escazú agreement (Photo: María José Pizarro via Twitter)
Peoples continue to struggle in every continent, however, some struggles are in a stage of repression, or are awaiting the response of state forces.
The new constitution proposed by Tunisian President Kais Saied has been approved in a referendum in which only around 30% of the citizens voted. The referendum was held on July 25 amid widespread calls for boycott by opposition parties and civil society. 94.6 percent of voters adopted the constitution, according to numbers released by the Tunisian Independent Higher Election Authority.
Serious concerns have grown surrounding the health and safety of imprisoned Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. His family has reported that they have had no contact with him for over 10 days. Egyptian prison officials claimed that Fattah had refused a visit from his mother Laila Soueif, herself a renowned activist, on July 24.
In May, doctors gave US political prisoner Mutulu Shakur six months to live. In response, activists and supporters of Mutulu are rallying for his compassionate release. On July 20, activists rallied outside of the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, to deliver a letter signed by over 200 faith leaders, demanding Mutulu’s release. An online petition for Mutulu’s release, created by faith leader Lumumba Bandele, has over 60,000 signatures.
As raging fires have already scorched more than a hundred thousand acres of land throughout Europe, and unbearable heat waves have caused several deaths, destruction to property, and displaced more than 30,000 people, progressive sections across Europe have protested the inability and insensitivity of the states and governments to tackle the crisis.
Demonstrations were held in different cities of Sudan all of last week calling for peace in the country’s restive border States. The protesters also condemned the military junta and its ally, a former armed rebel group, for provoking violence between two ethnic communities—Funj and Hausa—in the southeastern Blue Nile State.
Displaced from their houses during the violence that was largely in Roseires, many have arrived in Blue Nile's capital Damazine. (Mohamed Mustafa/Twitter)
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