Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro will march alongside his supporters this Wednesday to mobilize support for the social reforms being debated in Congress amid political unrest that has sprung up within his government.
This demonstration has been dubbed the “conquest of Bogotá for social reforms”, but it will also take place in other Colombian cities at the same time. The call was made by trade union headquarters, pension and community associations and students, among others.
On his Twitter account, the leader of the Historical Pact wrote the trill: “People are returning to the streets. People respect each other and don’t give up!”accompanied by the image of a group of protesters.
The concentration will serve as a gauge of support for the Colombian President, who will not only defend his political project but has also called for a march against “impunity”.
In recent weeks The Colombian president has repeatedly warned of alleged plans by business and the right to give him a “soft smack” to remove him from office..
Petro has also pointed to the persistence of impunity in the country, as he believes the judicial authorities are failing to investigate and punish those who have used their links to drug trafficking and paramilitaries to engage in politics and have a monopoly on the use of force have.
The ruling Historical Pact was published in a release their reasons for attending and the call for militancy to the march and called for it “Defending Democracy and Reforms”.
In the text, the coalition agreed Rejection of “attempts to destabilize” democracy, institutions and governmentagainst which Petro has repeatedly warned.
The progressive bloc and left-wing parties also expressed their opposition to the actions of “opposition sectors” who they say are trying to “prevent the advancement of the legislative agenda and social reforms” by blocking the “political moment” they are experiencing use . the country.
Colombian public opinion has recently been rocked by the so-called “Nanny Gate” involving the former head of the President’s office, Laura Sarabia, which gained even more momentum after allegations by the former Ambassador of Bogotá to Caracas. Armando Benedetti on allegedly illegal funding of the Petro campaign.
So far, at least three complaints against the President have been filed with the House Indictment Committee, while prosecutors and the Attorney General’s Office launched investigations into Sarabia and the former Colombian ambassador to Venezuela.
The day before, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), the Confederation of Colombian Workers (CTC) and the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) issued a joint statement highlighting the aspects to be addressed in the reforms in the health and work stand out and pension.
For these unions “The debate about the three reforms is becoming more and more critical”. They claim that this situation is happening in the context of a media campaign and delay promoted by the economic and political powers of the extreme right.
As for the health care reform, they believe it provides for the “restoration of rights” and “going out of business” of the Health Promotion Institutions (EPS) and private pension funds, with the aim of allowing the state to have more control.
Regarding labour, they stated that they supported the proposal to reduce outsourcing and intermediation, the “full exercise of trade union freedoms, the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining”, the regulation of rural, domestic work and delivery platforms, and the restoration of labor rights support night and holiday surcharge.
Regarding the pension, they stress that it aims to increase pension protection and help the most vulnerable to earn an income in old age.