Colombia's opposition has held the largest protest yet, against President Gustavo Petro's government. They're rallying against wide-ranging social and economic reforms by the left-wing administration.
Petro wants to reform the healthcare sector, by cutting out private insurers and increasing state control.

Bogotá

Thousands of Colombians have taken to the streets in protest against President Gustavo Petro's government, marking the largest demonstration against the administration's proposed social and economic reforms thus far. Opposition groups are rallying against the left-wing government's plans to overhaul the healthcare sector, which include eliminating private health insurance providers to expand state control.

In Bogotá, a significant number of protesters, including seniors and healthcare professionals, voiced their concerns over the reforms. Miriam Chaparro, a 66-year-old protester, expressed fears that the changes would misuse pension savings for government projects and deplete private insurers intentionally. The protests were even more substantial in Medellín, where medical workers worried that the reforms could destabilize an already flawed healthcare system, emphasizing health as a right, not a game.

Since President Petro, Colombia's first leftist leader, assumed office following an election victory spurred by discontent with traditional conservative politics, his administration has faced challenges. Colombia, known for being among the most unequal countries globally, has seen divisive reactions to most of Petro's ambitious reforms. The president's struggle to secure a majority in Congress for his policies has led him to attempt enacting change through executive actions and proposing a popular assembly to amend parts of the constitution.

This approach has mobilized a broad spectrum of society, including centrist and middle-class sectors, against the government's policies. Critics argue that the significant turnout in recent protests indicates widespread disapproval of Petro's methods and agenda, warning that ignoring such discontent could be politically risky for the administration. Despite growing opposition, President Petro has called for a counter-protest on May 1st, signaling his intention to move forward with his reform agenda.



Thousands of Colombians protest president Petro's reforms

A massive turnout against an embattled president. Tens of thousands took to the streets of downtown Bogotá against social and economic reforms proposed by Colombia's first leftist government. Some protested for the first time like 66-year-old Miriam Chaparro. We are protesting against Petro's health care reforms. He wants to get rid of the private insurers, he's depleting them on purpose. We can't allow that. Same with our pensions. He wants to use our savings for his plans and we can't allow that either. The rallies were even larger in Colombia's second city Medellín. Doctors and medical workers saying they fear the reforms could destabilize the system. It is a system that has its flaws, that has its shortcomings, but it deserves to be reformed based on sound principles and all sectors need to give their opinion about it. This belongs to everyone. Health is not a game, it is a right. Petro won the elections riding a wave of discontent against the country's traditionally conservative politics in one of the most unequal countries in the world. Yet less than two years after his historic victory, most of his ambitious reforms have proven divisive and he's been unable to find a majority in Congress to get behind them. In response he has tried to force change through executive actions and proposing a popular assembly to change parts of the constitution, which has helped the opposition to galvanize its base while also increasingly mobilizing centrist and middle class sectors of society against the government. This has to make the government reconsider because there is a very large and ever increasingly present segment of the population that is in disagreement with its policies and its way of governing. If the government decides to ignore it or minimize it, it does so at its own risk. Sunday's turnout shows that there's growing discontent in a sector of Colombian society against the government of Gustavo Petro and in particular the way he's been trying to push forward his reform. This message is unlikely to convince the president to back down and he has already called for a counter-protest on May 1st.

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