Mario Murillo reports:

It's been a busy series of days here in Bogotá as the MINGA Popular continues to expand and flourish. From the streets in the center of the city, to the Plaza del Ché at the National University where an international forum was held on Saturday, from the media centers of the indigenous movement to the dozens of meetings taking place around the city where "Mingueros" are discussing the five point agenda with all the sectors that are interested to listen, the enthusiasm and energy of the popular movement can be felt.

After Friday's massive march through Bogotá that started at the campus of the National University, one that brought together over 20,000 people into the Plaza Bolivar for a spirited rally under a consistent rain, Saturday was a day focused more on concrete work that needs to be carried out to continue the organizing of the people. The highest profile meeting was held at la SENA, where government ministers and the indigenous leadership met for several hours in a tense session to discuss the government's failure to fulfill its obligations to the communities under previous accords, and the ongoing violence being carried out by the state security forces against indigenous people.

Simultaneous to that high-level encounter, representatives of the many different regional organizations participating in the MINGA got together in commissions, and scattered around throughout the city, meeting with student groups, local community councils, rank and file workers, and many other sectors to promote the message of the Minga. These are what the community refers to as "barridos," or "sweeps," designed to open up the dialogue with the people even further, and begin an ongoing discussion based on the conclusion of Friday's historic rally.

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