Two days ago, operators and related employees of the gambling sector met again in the city of Bogotá to march for the reopening of the sector after completing 150 days without reopening their casinos.
However, this time it was an unprecedented march where the summoned (as) who exceeded 5,000 people once again dressed in black and began in Carrera 7 with 19 from the center of the Capital.
People from gambling industry striking
From there they left for Carrera Decima towards the center, to return to Plaza de Bolívar again due to a rumor that there was already a response from the government, but "it really was a maneuver to delay the protest and control it" according to with some of those interviewed by Mundo Video.
This maneuver exacerbated the spirits and led the caravan to carry out a sit-in or blockade on Caracas avenue, which was controlled by the Mobile Anti-riot Squad, ESMAD.
ESMAD people standing in front the strike
“We need our right to work to be respected, there are many families behind this calamity. We know that it is necessary to take care of ourselves, but we have to work to live,” assured Alfonso Cruz, a casino operator.
This march ended at 2:30 in the afternoon, which had 10 times more attendees than the first.
Mundo Video had the opportunity to share with some of the operators who were in the march for the reopening of the sector and they assured that:
“In conversations with the mayor's office, it was agreed to continue with the guidelines for coordinated visits to verify compliance with the biosafety protocols, and there was talk of a possible pilot test for next September 15 and start with 40 of the 532 casinos and bingos that there are in the city. "
It should be noted that there are more than 500 establishments among bingo halls and casinos, and during this time of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic there have been losses of more than 10 billion pesos in the sector
People striking while police securing them
Media covered the march of the Gambling Industry
- CityTv: "Members of the Casinos union began this march very early to ask the authorities to allow them to reopen their establishments."
- LA FM: "Downtown Bogotá was affected by the protest of casino owners and workers"
- CM&: "Casino and billiards owners protest demanding to reopen their businesses!"
- Radio Santa Fe: "Protest of workers and owners of casinos because they cannot reopen their businesses"
- Caracol News: "It is expected that in the next few days the missing 30% of the commercial sector will be reactivated, such as casinos in the country's capital."
Finally, through social networks it was also possible to show the dissatisfaction of workers and owners for the non-reopening, where some of them shared opinions like these on Twitter:
People standing in the street with ads “everybody it needs work “
“Bogotá casino workers march through the city center to demand that Mayor Claudia López allow them to reopen the casinos, after almost six months of closure due to the # COVID-19 pandemic” Lexander Loaiza, (@Lexloaiza)
"Madam mayor, do you want to continue advancing in Bogotá? Give birth to the reopening of the Gambling Guild. You already know that we comply with all the #BiosecurityProtocols and that they are endorsed by @MinSaludCol. LET US WORK !! " Yuli Rincon, (@ Yuliani64555581)
It is not good that we should always be begging and fighting for our rights, for fair taxes, for abuses by Coljuegos itself, sometimes it seems that we are criminals, the Government is not giving us shit! It is read in another of the messages.
On the other hand, the director of Fenalco, Juan Esteban Orrego, in an interview with caracol assured that “It is expected that from September 15 new sectors will open that have not yet opened, as is the case of casinos. Well, we have already seen how 70% of businesses that have reopened their doors have rejoined and improved their sales safely "
