Nelson Alarcón Suárez elected president of Colombia’s CUT

The Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), one of Colombia’s primary labor unions, has elected Nelson Alarcón Suárez as its new president for the 2026-2029 term. Alarcón, a former president of the Colombian Federation of Educators (Fecode) with over three decades of experience in the teaching profession, succeeds Fabio Arias.

With this leadership change, the CUT has reaffirmed its opposition to the administration of Abelardo De La Espriella, criticizing the government’s policies. The union stated its commitment to maintaining worker unity and defending labor rights and democratic freedoms.

Alarcón’s immediate priorities include representing workers in discussions regarding the minimum wage increase for 2027 and participating in the Commission for the Concertation of Wage and Labor Policies.