Marxist former President of Colombia Gustavo Petro on Wednesday threatened the conservative Colombian government with a “general strike” if it does not comply with the left’s demands of a minimum wage raise for 2027.
The demands come just less than a year after Petro signed off on what has been described as the highest minimum wage raise in Colombia in three decades — a widely criticized depiction given the consequences that it left the nation’s current economy and inflation with.
Petro is Colombia’s first and only leftist president ever, having served for four years until the end of his term on August 7. He was succeeded by current conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella, who defeated Petro’s chosen successor, far-left Senator Iván Cepeda, in this year’s presidential elections.
On Wednesday — exactly two months after he left office — the Marxist former president published a social media post announcing his participation in an upcoming leftist protest in the capital city of Bogotá on October 14, where he expects see “all the city’s working people.”
“It’s time for us to take action and prepare for the struggle leading up to the general strike for a living wage by 2027 and a serious plan to combat hunger in order to mitigate the effects of the drought,” Petro wrote.
“Laarchabsebe [sic] be massive and completely peaceful,” he added, “Dignity is calm and forceful.”
Colombian leftist political movements and several labor unions are reportedly organizing a series of protests against de la Espriella’s government on October 14. According to the newspaper El Espectador, the far-left Historic Pact coalition led by Petro claimed that October 14 will be the first of “several” protests that the Colombian left is planning to hold over the next four years of de la Espriella’s conservative administration. Per El Espectador, a series of pro-government peaceful demonstrations will also take place on that same day.
In December, Petro decreed a 23-percent increase in the nation’s minimum wage to two million Colombian pesos (roughly $472 when it was announced in December, about $619 at press time), making it the highest minimum wage raise in over three decades. At the time, the raise was met with a barrage of criticism over the potential impact that the staggering hike would have on the nation’s economy and inflation. Weeks before leaving office, Petro claimed that the “vital wage,” the name given by his administration to the minimum wage in Colombia, was being “endangered” by the then-incoming de la Espriella government, which has been highly critical of the consequences of the massive wage raise.
The new president of the Colombian Central Bank, Leonardo Villar, criticized the Petro-era raise, deeming it “disproportionate” and identifying it as one of the reasons behind Colombia’s fiscal deficit and inflation problems. Villar said that the consequences of Petro’s minimum wage raise also contributed to the Central Bank having to hike interest rates by 25 basis points.
The Colombian financial outlet Valora Analitik reported on Thursday noon that the de la Espriella administration has ruled out carrying out a minimum wage raise for 2027 of the same magnitude as Petro’s last one. The yet-to-be defined raise will instead depend on several factors such as inflation and available resources as the administration holds initial talks with local businesses and workers towards negotiations in the matter.
In August, President de la Espriella and his Vice President José Manuel Restrepo presented an extensive dossier before the Colombian Attorney General’s office containing over 80 complaints and several allegations of corruption against the Petro administration, accusing it of mismanagement of public funds. A month later, in September, de la Espriella accused Petro of “looting” Colombia with his “fiscal irresponsibility.”
In addition to the protests announced by Petro on Wednesday, the Cauca Regional Indigenous Council (CRIC) announced this week that it plans to also hold protests against the Colombian government between October 11-14 to demand additional resources for the indigenous communities represented by the organization. De la Espriella stated that his government is open to reviewing the existing funding agreements signed by the Petro administration with the indigenous group and that he respects the right to legitimate and peaceful protest — but emphasized that his government will “not negotiate under pressure” or threats and will not permit any form of violent protest.
“Protest ends where the rights of others begin. No one can prevent another Colombian from working, studying, going to a hospital, or moving about freely. Anyone who marches peacefully will have all their rights protected,” de la Espriella said.
“Anyone who blocks, destroys, or attacks our law enforcement, citizens, or infrastructure will be held accountable and face the full force of the state,” he continued.
CRIC responded to President de la Espriella’s remarks affirming that the planned October 11-14 events are not a protest but a “summit” of indigenous and social communities.
“Let me clarify right away, we are not issuing a challenge, nor are we engaging in any act of intimidation, by convening a summit where these organizations, the Indigenous organization, the organization from the southwest, and others—will gather to analyze their own internal affairs,” CRIS counsellor Édgar Fernández told Caracol Radio.
Former President Petro did not recognize de la Espriella’s victory after the conservative candidate defeated Cepeda in the elections. According to Petro, “algorithmic fraud” was allegedly committed during the June presidential runoff between de la Espriella and Cepeda, however, the former president never presented any evidence that could substantiate his claims.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.