Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on the public to take action after the government’s proposal to raise the minimum wage by 23.7 percent was rejected by the country’s highest administrative court, the Council of State.
Upon Petro’s call, people took to the streets to protest in many big cities, especially in the capital Bogota.
In the capital Bogota, there were disruptions in public transportation and traffic as demonstrators closed the main roads to transportation.
Representatives of unions, workers’ associations and indigenous communities gathered in the historical Bolivar Square. Addressing the protesters from here, Petro announced that his administration would implement the minimum wage as 2 million pesos (23 thousand TL), the amount determined in the decree in December.
Addressing the enthusiastic crowd, Petro said, “We are not taking a step back. We signed the decree and submitted it to the Council of State for reconsideration.” (AA, BREATH)
