Tens of thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Sunday to protest President Gustavo Petro’s reform programme.
Despite heavy rains in many parts of Colombia, the most iconic places of the country’s largest cities were packed with people. They protested in Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga and some 15 other cities. In Bogota, at least 80,000 people of different political ideologies took part in demonstrations that ended at Plaza de Bolivar.
The Petro government is going through one of its most difficult moments as violence in remote regions of the country continues to rise, as do assassinations of community leaders. Health workers have been the first to organise protest marches, joined by the opposition, transport unions and scientific societies.
In his two years in power, Petro has never been able to build consensus in Congress to enact the promised reforms. In early April, he suffered his biggest defeat in Congress when senators shelved his controversial health care reform.
The president must build on what has been built, but instead he wants to destroy the health and education systems.
Discontent escalated a few days ago when Petro proposed the creation of a National Constituent Assembly that would amend the 1991 Constitution to implement his radical programme. The 1991 Constitution was drafted after the M-19 guerrilla organisation, of which Petro was a member, laid down its arms.
Petro became president in 2022, with his popularity still falling and polarisation in the country growing.
