Julio Roberto Gómez, Colombian union leader, dies of covid-19

(Credit: General Confederation of Labor of Colombia / Twitter)

(CNN Spanish) ––

Julio Roberto Gómez, a Colombian union leader, died at dawn this Tuesday at the Cafam clinic in northern Bogotá, according to the General Labor Confederation (CGT) in his Twitter account.

Gómez was diagnosed with covid-19 on December 27, 2020. At that time he was virtually negotiating with the Government of President Iván Duque to increase the minimum wage for this year in Colombia.

Since then he has been hospitalized.

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The CGT is one of the most important trade union organizations in the country.

The death of Julio Roberto Gómez unleashed numerous reactions on social networks, including those of several ministers.

The union leader was for more than 20 years at the forefront of the demand for the labor struggles of workers in the public and private sectors.

He was also part of the National Unemployment Committee that led several mass demonstrations against the Government of President Iván Duque since November 2019.

covid-19 pandemic