Red de Medios Alternativos y Agencia Colombiana de Prensa Popular have reported the decision by the political and social movement Marcha Patriótica to held the agrarian national strike on 19 August.

The decision was announced at a press conference in the city of Neiva following the first meeting of Marcha Patriotica’s agricultural sector and pointed out several other current political issues in Colombia.
Senator Piedad Córdoba described the strike as an expression of popular discontent because of mining and energy projects and Free Trade Agreements.

Marcha Patriótica, say the news agencies, also expressed their full support for the strikes taking place at this moment in the country. "We support the strike of miners and a mining Constituent; we support the small miners. We also support the resistance in Catatumbo”. With regard to the Peasant Reserve Zones, she explained that the peasants only ask for respecting the law. "What the government should do instead of going to shout at the peasants and threaten them through their minister of defense, is to listen to the peasant’s demands”.

Córdoba said that in Catatumbo there are no dangerous peasants, but people dying of misery. "Mr. Santos should take one of those small planes he has and go to the Catatumbo ... He should meet the peasants and go visit the mine workers”.

Piedad Cordoba gave as she called it a "part of victory ", to what was the consolidation round of the Constituents for Peace with Social Justice, which ended between 19 and 22 July this year. Piedad Cordoba said that in this round of the constituents three million Colombians participated. "They are looking for redesigning the new constitution with their participation, legislating in all regions of the country, particularly preparing a big event in November this year, where all constituents come together for peace in one single body for a new constitution through a National Constituent Assembly”

Asked about Arauca and Caquetá, where more than 20 members of the Colombian army were killed in combat with the FARC-EP, as well as about the retention of the contractor Kevin Scott Sutay by this guerrilla movement, Piedad Cordoba stated that: "Those facts precisely show the need of a bilateral ceasefire". But she noted that President Santos in his speech on July 20 reaffirmed the government's policy of talking without stopping the conflict. "What is he looking for?" she wonders. "He is openly discrediting a political and negotiated solution of the social and armed conflict in Colombia."

Piedad Cordoba was also asked about the controversy regarding her proposal for extending the current two-year presidential term. She said that behind this proposal are ethical reasons. "Those two years are not meant to chill out with Santos. There's a debate here that has to do with the most important ethical principle in this country, which is peace, peace cannot be subordinated to the elections".