Colombian GM Workers Sew Mouths Shut in Protest – Video
A group of former workers for General Motors in Colombia are taking drastic measures to protest against the American automaker. The workers were fired after suffering alleged severe workplace injuries at the Bogota factory, and have been demanding compensation.
After protesting for a year outside the United States embassy with no results, four of these ex-workers decided to sew their mouths shut on August 1st, with three more joining the protest a week later. Until their complaints are answered, more men will sew their mouths shut each week – all prepared to die for the cause.
In case you were wondering, none of these men are eating, and some haven’t for a couple of weeks now. Their lips are sewn so tightly that it prevents them from chewing but they are able to speak with some difficulty. The men are all part of The Association of Injured Workers and Ex-Workers of Colmotores (ASOTRECOL), and was started by Jorge Parra, who has gone over a week into the hunger strike.
ASOTRECOL claims that GM erased company medical records and failed to compensate its injured employees. As expected, GM denies these claims – but it’s hard to believe that these men are going to these extremes of protest for false claims.
“It’s not just bullets that kill but people’s indifference and eagerness to forget what we are suffering,” says Parra, who has undergone three surgeries for the injuries he claims were caused by his work. “We are now in a critical situation and we had to do something serious.”
[Source: The Star]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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