After three weeks of harangues, painted banners and sessions in the Council, the ITM students decided to lift the strike. It all started when the Medellín Mayor’s Office, belatedly, presented the draft agreement to define the city’s budget in 2023. There it was included that the educational institution would have transfers of 38,000 million pesos, well below the 53,000 million it needed to continue with its expansion and its academic plans.
The students went to La Alpujarra to ask the mayor Daniel Quintero for a direct dialogue. Although they never received a personal response, on Monday, November 21, things changed. During the Governing Council each week, the mayor promised to transfer the $53,000 million what the students asked for. “We all have to squeeze,” said the president to his office secretaries.
With that news, the ITM Multi-State Assembly met and decided to lift the strike. In addition to what was announced by the administration, they took into account that continuing the cessation could be economically detrimental to the institution but, above all, to the students.
Although the mayor’s announcement calmed the waters, a certain bitter taste remained. First of all, what the mayor would never have stood up to the students to have a frank dialogue. Second, because Quintero tried to use the students to put pressure on the Council. His intention was for young people to demand that the corporation discuss the project that provides for the budget for 2023.
“We have to say that we did not like that. He wanted to use us and we are not in a political discussion. That’s not what it’s about,” said Brandon Garcia, one of the ITM student leaders.
But the work of the assembly has not finished, García specified, because now they will be waiting for the resources to actually be available. Also, insist on a public policy that protects institutions educational institutions of the District.