The first day of the General Strike, called by over 60 trade unions and a large number of civic, religious, student and cultural organizations, grouped in a Greater Committee, has resulted in a success. In her declarations this afternoon, Annie Cruz, spokesperson for CAOS said that the strike had attained the main goals, to paralyze the industry, the banks and the commerce, and so she called it a complete victory.
The stoppage was extended to all the country at dawn. Yesterday, several entities had announce de closing of operations, including all the main commercial malls, the Popular Bank, the Grande and Amigo supermarket chains, Ponderosa restaurants and a lot of other establishments. The University of Puerto Rico negotiated with the unions and student organizations the closing, in exchange for letting some critical operations continue.
Several municipalities reported that all commerce was closed.
In the San Juan Metropolitan Area, the two more tense points were the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and the main offices of the Education Department. At the airport, where a huge deployment of all the units of the police and the FBI had been quartered since last night, the workers surprised them they when they blocked the entrances with tractors and cars. Then, they begun a picket with hundreds of workers, specially those from the Independent Authentic Union of the Water and Sewage Authority- UIA, along with several airport unions.
At 7 o'clock, the traffic jam extended several kilometers in both directions. The Teodoro Moscoso bridge was closed. This, in addition to block the access to the airport, cut the access of tenths of thousands of persons that come every day to San Juan from the East. The workers continued their picket for some hours, and the radio and TV reporters repeated that they had sticks and baseball bats, with the intention to repel an attack by the police. This contrasted with the occasions in which the police has attacked the telephone workers, because it takes advantage of the moments in which there are the less workers.
At about 8:00 a.m., the police chief said that he would give the strikers some time to retreat, or would use the force. When he arrived there, however, he changed his attitude, presumably because he could see that this time, where the workers were waiting for them, they would not be an easy target. After some negotiations, the workers came out at 11:00 a.m., and went to Cellular Plaza to unite with the telephone workers.
In the airport, there were no flights arriving or leaving during the morning, and the afternoon flights were affected.
In the Education Department, the Federation of Teachers picketed to block the entrance, and there were some confrontations.
Since noon, the workers have been concentrating in large quantities in several places around the country. The mood is festive, and there is a sense that they have become masters of the streets.
At noon, also, Gov. Pedro Rosselló gave a Press Conference, after a meeting of his security council. In his initial statement, hi ignored the General Strike. All the newspeople questions, however, were on the theme that occupies all the Puerto Ricans now. In a sometimes mocking way, Rosselló minimized the effects of the Strike. Although he did not come up with any data, he said that all the public services were being given with normality and that absentism was minimal. He reaffirmed in his denial of changing his position on the telephone company sale.
After that he returned to his beach house.
At 5:00, Governor's secretary, Angel Morey gave an official statement on the effects of the strike. He said all public agencies worked with normality.
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LUCHA SI - ENTREGA NO
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