BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, November 6 — More than 19,000 sugar cane cutters, subcontracted by co-ops in the Cauca Valley, have been striking since September 15 in eight sugar mills.

The workers, represented by several unions, are demanding decent wages and working conditions, permanent jobs (ending subcontracting), the right to unionize and elimination of the ecological and social harm caused by the production of agrofuel (ethanol).

The bosses have rejected the workers’ demands and are supported by the government, which has militarized the mills. Cops and paramilitary forces have attacked the strikers with tear gas and rubber bullets, using military tanks armed with water cannons. Several strike leaders have had their lives threatened. The bosses’ government and media have labeled the strikers “subversive,” a death sentence in Colombia.

Boss Carlos Ardila Lülle, who controls 80% of the sugar and ethanol business, is also connected with Coca Cola, Nestle, Postobonm Bavaria Brewery and RCN Radio-TV network. These corporations are heavily involved in using death squads to kill militant unionists and other activist workers.

A national march by 22,000 Indigenous people (see CHALLENGE, 11/12) opposed the fascist repression and land seized from Indigenous communities by landlords using death squads. These landlords raise cash crops on stolen land — African palm, sugar cane and poppy plants for cocaine. The army and cops attacked the march, killing several people and injuring dozens more, but the struggle continues.

Initially, President Uribe — the U.S.’s most loyal ally in South America — denied the attack, but then admitted it and accused the marchers of being “infiltrated by guerrillas.” He aims to bust this struggle as was done with the 43-day judicial workers’ strike, who were also threatened by death squads and mass firings.

The Uribe government is so discredited that, after claiming several youths recently killed were guerrillas who died in clashes with the army and cops, finally admitted the truth: these youths were executed in cold blood so the government could claim it was “killing guerrillas.” The scandal has forced several high-ranking military officers, including Colombian army chief General Montoya, to resign. This is the kind of “democratic” governments U.S. bosses are backing in Latin America.

We in PLP have been modestly participating in some of these struggles, discussing our communist politics with workers and youth. But we must do more. While such struggles are good, they’re not enough. Capitalism cannot be reformed or changed, even if electing “progressive anti-Uribe politicians,” as some reformists and fake leftists claim. The main lesson for workers and youth is that a revolutionary communist leadership must be forged to fight for a society without any bosses, their racism, fascist death squads and imperialist warmakers.