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

BOGOTA (AP):

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 labour 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.

But Petro’s Historical Pact party lacked a majority in congress. To govern, it built alliances with traditional parties on the centre and the right, which were given positions in Cabinet in exchange for their support in congress.

The ideologically diverse coalition began to fracture this year, as differences emerged over legislation that seeks to reform Colombia’s health system and turn a government agency into the sole administrator of insurance payments, sidelining companies that currently handle a large portion of the insurance market.

Petro argues the reform will make it easier for the government to reimburse hospitals and enable it to invest more money in healthcare centres for remote rural areas. But his opponents say the government lacks the capacity to administer billions of dollars in insurance payments.

The health reform is currently stalled in congress, where it has been stonewalled by opposition parties and former members of Petro’s coalition. A labour law that would make it harder for employers to hire workers using temporary contracts is also struggling to gain enough votes in the senate and the lower house.