2013 Colombian coffee growers strike facts for kids

The 2013 Colombian coffee growers strike was a time when coffee farmers in Colombia stopped working. They held many protests in different towns across the country. This led to roads being blocked and some clashes between farmers and the police's special anti-riot squad, called ESMAD.

The strike began on February 25, 2013. Even though the government and farmer representatives reached some agreements by March 2, the protests continued. Finally, on March 8, both sides agreed. This agreement promised better conditions for coffee farming, and the strike ended.

Why the Farmers Protested

The coffee farmers protested because they felt the government was not helping them enough. They were facing tough economic times. The farmers said that growing coffee, which is very important in Colombia, was no longer making enough money. They explained that their coffee production had dropped a lot.

The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FEDECAFÉ) is the main group that supports coffee production in the country. Its manager, Luis Genaro Muñoz, and the National Coffee Committee strongly disagreed with the strike. They said they did not support it and even suggested that illegal armed groups might be involved.

The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and his government ministers agreed with FEDECAFÉ. They called the strike unfair. President Santos asked the farmers to "defend the good name of coffee."

This strike is not justified, if something has helped the country is the institutionality of coffee, the producers of the grain should defend that. As we had already announced, this strike has political ingredients.

—Juan Manuel Santos

How the Strike Ended

The strike ended on March 8, 2013. This happened after the coffee farmers and the government reached an agreement. This agreement aimed to improve the conditions for coffee growing in Colombia.

See also

In Spanish: Movilización cafetera en Colombia de 2013 para niños