Colombia: anti-Duque protest causes sudden drop in coffee exports
Anti-government protesters have regularly blocked roads since the end of April, making it more difficult to export coffee.
Here, during a demonstration in Medellin, June 9, 2021. © Joaquin Sarmiento, AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Colombia is suffering a steep drop in coffee exports, with less than 52% in May compared to the same period of 2020. A situation caused by protests against the government of President Ivan Duque which have blocked roads, according to the sector.
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While Colombia has been plagued
by a major social mobilization against the right-wing government of President Ivan Duque
since the end of April
, angry demonstrators are setting up roadblocks on the main roads.
This prevents the delivery of coffee beans to the ports.
The National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) is worried about the economic consequences for thousands of small producers: because of the delays in deliveries which accumulate, they lose customers abroad.
In fact, the sector provides a living for nearly 540,000 peasant families and the income of around 3 million people depends on it.
"
In May (...) as a result of the dams, Colombia's coffee exports fell 52
%, to 427,000
60 kg bags, against 894,000 in the same month of 2020,
" FNC said in a statement. .
On the year, however, exports increased by 7% to more than 4.9 million bags, against 4.6 million in the first five months of 2020, according to the same source.
The
production of coffee
is one of the pillars of the Colombian economy.
The country is the third largest producer in the world after Brazil and Vietnam, and the first for its “
sweet arabica
” production
, a variety appreciated for its taste and considered to be of better quality.
Coffee is also one of the country's main export products, after petroleum and minerals.
Since April 28, at least 61 people have died and more than 2,400 others have been injured in
the social movement
, according to the authorities and the People's Defender, a public body for the protection of human rights.
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