World

Colombia’s Opposition Rally Against De la Espriella’s Austerity Measures

By Al Jazeera Staff

Thousands of demonstrators marched in Bogotá and other major cities on Wednesday, marking the first day of a nationwide campaign led by former left‑wing President Gustavo Petro. The protest was organized by a coalition of opposition parties, trade unions, indigenous groups and social movements to oppose a series of economic and security policies introduced by right‑wing President Abelardo de la Espriella.

Under Petro’s administration, Colombia expanded access to public universities, raised the minimum wage and strengthened labour protections. Opposition groups claim that many of these reforms are now threatened as de la Espriella’s government pushes cuts to government programmes as part of an austerity agenda. Colombia’s Congress has until Tuesday to approve the 2027 fiscal year budget, during which proposals to reduce spending are being advanced.

De la Espriella has also pledged to steer the country away from his predecessor’s left‑wing policies toward free‑market principles aligned with those of U.S. President Donald Trump. In response to the protests, the government issued new rules granting expanded powers to police to quickly address vandalism or disruptions to essential services. In a social media statement announcing the decree, de la Espriella said, “The right to protest is respected, but there is no right to destroy, attack the security forces, assault others or sow chaos.” He added that “violence, vandalism and blockades that trample on the rights of millions of citizens will not be tolerated.”

While some indigenous communities and political groups in rural areas have blocked roads for weeks, critics note that the protests this week have largely been peaceful. Many participants chanted “It will fall,” a reference to the perceived failure of de la Espriella’s government.

De la Espriella, a former defence lawyer and millionaire businessman, was a political newcomer when he ran for president on a far‑right ticket. He won the June runoff by a narrow margin, campaigning on a hard‑line platform to address crime, immigration and the economy, including proposals to expel millions of migrants and shrink the size of the government. He took office in August.

Petro, who served as Colombia’s first left‑wing president, joined the march but was not eligible for re‑election under Colombian law, which limits presidents to a single term. He posted on social media that the mobilisations were a wake‑up call “two months into the start of a tyrannical and imposed government.”

Protesters expressed concerns about cuts to labour protections and healthcare. Teacher Ester Guerra, 32, told AFP in Bogotá, “I feel like we have no guarantees and that the little we did obtain … we’re about to lose.” Some demonstrators also objected to the new administration’s overtures toward Israel. Several carried Palestinian flags in solidarity. On Wednesday, de la Espriella’s government opened a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, a move that critics say mirrors Trump’s relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2018 and ignores accusations of Israeli abuses against Palestinians.

Student Jimena Rodriguez, 20, said, “I feel dark times are coming.” She added that de la Espriella “just wants to hand the country over to the United States, to Israel.”