Colombian citizens mobilizing in defense of President Gustavo Petro's administration. Photo: The Real News Network.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced that he would join the march called by the trade unions of the South American country on June 7, in support of reform projects that could materialize in Congress. Petro will participate in the “Engaging Bogotá for Social Reforms” conference together with union organizations such as the Central Union of Workers (CUT), the General Confederation of Labor, and others.
“This time, I will not be on the balcony. I will march alongside the working people,” the Colombian president announced via social media, “and I hope that those who voted to make a change in Colombia will now accompany me in all the municipalities of the country.
Estaré este dia recorriendo las calles con la marcha. Invito a quienes votaron por el cambio y a quienes desean justicia en Colombia a marchar en todos los municipios.
No solo por las reformas sino una gran marcha nacional contra la impunidad.
!Que haya Justicia en Colombia! https://t.co/nzrny9FF4t
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) May 31, 2023
On several occasions, the head of state has called for his followers to put pressure on the streets in support of the changes he promised in the campaign, as reported by the Telesur web portal.
One of his most ambitious projects is the “Total Peace” campaign, within which his government aspires to put an end to guerrilla violence that has plagued the country and to bring drug traffickers to justice.
The president has received the support of the left and some traditional parties in Congress for the labor reform bill, which intends to legislate the reduction of private participation in the health system, redistribute unproductive land, reform the labor, pension, and justice systems, disarm illegal organizations, among other commitments.
In statements to the press, the head of the CUT, Francisco Maltés, called on students, workers, pensioners, and civil organizations to take to the streets on June 7 “in defense of the social reforms posited by the government to Congress,” and announced that “they have faced several obstacles” due to “conservative sectors that oppose them.”
“We request the Congress of the Republic, in particular the Seventh Commission, to process the bill filed by representative Mafe Carrascal,” Maltés said, “which includes the main aspirations of the union movement expressed in the last 30 years.”
The union leader further recalled that the country has already voted for the labor changes included in this bill.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/AU/KZ
