Thousands take to the streets in Colombia to protest leftist government’s reforms

Thousands of people marched in Colombia on Tuesday to voice their frustration with President Gustavo Petro’s government and its attempts to make sweeping changes to the nation’s health and pension systems, and its labor laws. The protests were held as Colombia’s first leftist president struggles to keep his coalition in congress together and sees a slump in his approval ratings as violence between rebel groups grows in some parts of the country.
A corruption scandal involving two members of Petro’s inner circle has also put the government on the defensive, with the president now fighting allegations that his campaign was financed with undeclared donations. “This government is going to take us back decades,” said Jimmy Rosero, a retired army officer, who helped carry a 40-foot-long Colombian flag at a march in Bogota. “We don’t want any of its reforms to be approved” by congress.
Petro was elected a year ago following massive protests over social and economic inequalities that worsened during the pandemic. He promised to make peace deals with the nation’s remaining rebel groups and said his government would improve access to healthcare, university education and formal jobs.