Colombia opposition groups launch protest against de la Espriella’s cuts

Former left-wing President Gustavo Petro joined thousands of demonstrators successful Bogota successful a march against austerity, restored Israel ties.

A conjugation of absorption parties, commercialized unions, indigenous groups and societal movements has protested successful Colombia against a bid of economical and information policies precocious nether right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella.

Thousands marched successful large cities including the superior Bogota connected Wednesday, the archetypal time of a nationwide run led by the country’s erstwhile left-wing President Gustavo Petro.

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Under Petro, Colombia expanded entree to nationalist universities, accrued the minimum wage and improved labour protections for workers.

Opposition groups accidental galore of those reforms are present nether threat, arsenic de la Espriella’s authorities embraces cuts to authorities programmes.

Colombia’s Congress has until Tuesday to o.k. its 2027 fiscal twelvemonth budget. But arsenic portion of the caller administration’s austerity measures, allies of de la Espriella are advancing proposals to trim authorities spending.

De la Espriella has besides pledged to crook Colombia distant from his predecessor’s left-wing leanings and towards much free-market policies aligned with those of United States President Donald Trump.

Protesters transportation a banner depicting a caricature of President Abelardo de la Espriella successful Bogota, Colombia, connected October 14, 2026 [Fernando Vergara/AP Photo]

The authorities issued caller rules for constabulary up of the protests, handing expanded powers to instrumentality enforcement to much rapidly woody with protesters who vandalise nationalist spot oregon disrupt entree to indispensable services.

“The close to protestation is respected, but determination is nary close to destroy, onslaught the information forces, battle others oregon sow chaos,” de la Espriella said successful a societal media connection announcing the decree.

He added that “violence, vandalism and blockades that trample connected the rights of millions of citizens volition not beryllium tolerated”.

Indigenous communities and governmental groups successful agrarian parts of the state sometimes artifact roads arsenic portion of their protests, with impediments to postulation sometimes lasting weeks.

A demonstrator holds up a motion that reads ‘First the agrarian class’ during a protestation successful Bogota, Colombia, connected October 14, 2026 [Sebastian Barros/AFP]

But critics person pointed retired that the protests this week person been mostly peaceful.

Many chanted “It volition fall”, a notation to the perceived nonaccomplishment of de la Espriella’s government.

A erstwhile defence lawyer and millionaire businessman, de la Espriella was a governmental newcomer erstwhile helium ran for the presidency this twelvemonth connected a far-right ticket.

He was elected successful a June runoff contention by a constrictive margin. He campaigned connected a hardline level to code crime, migration and the economy, including proposals to expel millions of migrants from Colombia and shrink the size of the government.

De la Espriella besides pledged to backtrack connected reforms made nether Petro, Colombia’s archetypal left-wing president. He took bureau successful August.

A erstwhile left-wing fighter-turned-politician, Petro took portion successful protests connected Wednesday. He was not eligible for re-election successful this year’s statesmanlike race; Colombian instrumentality presently caps presidents astatine a azygous term.

He wrote connected societal media that the mobilisations were a wake-up telephone “two months into the commencement of a tyrannical and imposed government”.

Former statesmanlike campaigner Ivan Cepeda mingles with protesters successful Bogota, Colombia, connected October 14 [Diego Cuevas/Getty Images]

Protesters besides expressed concerns astir cuts to labour protections and healthcare nether the caller administration.

“I consciousness similar we person nary guarantees and that the small we did get … we’re astir to lose,” teacher Ester Guerra, 32, told the quality outlet AFP successful Bogota.

Some demonstrators besides took contented with the caller administration’s overtures towards Israel. Several carried Palestinian flags, successful a motion of solidarity.

On Wednesday, de la Espriella’s authorities opened a Colombian embassy successful Jerusalem, a arguable determination arsenic Israel and Palestine person some claimed parts of the city.

Petro had been a staunch protagonist of Palestine and had chopped relations with Israel implicit its genocidal warfare against Gaza. But de la Espriella has moved to reconstruct the severed ties since taking office.

That struck protesters similar Jimena Rodriguez, a 20-year-old student, arsenic an effort to disregard accusations of Israeli abuses against Palestinians.

Several noted that de la Espriella’s actions towards Israel mirrored Trump’s, who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem during his archetypal word successful 2018.

President de la Espriella “just wants to manus the state implicit to the United States, to Israel,” Rodriguez said. “I consciousness acheronian times are coming.”