Colombia strikes against IMF (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

>WB Devt News 9/1/99
>
>NATION-WIDE STRIKE BRINGS COLOMBIA TO A STANDSTILL. Colombia yesterday woke up 
>to virtual silence yesterday, as the country?s labor unions began the first
>day 
>of an indefinite national strike in protest at the government?s political, 
>social, and economic agenda, reports the Financial Times (p.4). The unions
>also 
>want the government to declare a moratorium on the payment of its internal and 
>external debt, a petition seen as a direct attack on an imminent agreement
>with 
>the IMF to secure a loan of up to $3 billion.
>
>The Fund has made the loan conditional upon severe budgetary adjustment,
>fiscal 
>reform, and modification of social legislation, adds Le Monde (p.2), noting
>that 
>a delegation from the IMF that was expected this week in Bogotá, will now 
>continue the negotiations in Washington.