By Laura Gamba
BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Tens of thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Sunday to protest against President Gustavo Petro’s reform agenda.
Despite heavy rains in many parts of Colombia, the most emblematic places in the country’s biggest cities were filled with people chanting "Petro leave."
People came out to protest in Bogota, Cali, Medellin, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga and around 15 other cities.
In Bogota, at least 80,000 people of various political ideologies attended demonstrations that ended up at the historic Plaza de Bolivar.
Laura Olarte, 37, went out to protest with her 5-year-old daughter.
“I want to show my children the value of democracy when we disagree with something, and seeing all these people against the government reforms and the country's situation is really moving,” she said.
The leftist Petro government is experiencing one of its most challenging moments. Violence continues to increase in remote regions of the country as well as murders of social leaders. The economic situation has deteriorated and there is a shortage of medicines and a big crisis in the health sector.
Health professionals were the first to call these marches, which the right-wing and centrist opposition joined. Other sectors also joined the demonstrations, including transport workers’ unions and scientific societies.
“The president has the country and the economy paralyzed, and people are fleeing the country in search of better opportunities. I want to send a message: No More Petro!” Juan Roa told Anadolu.
In the two years that Petro has been in power, he has not been able to gain a consensus in Congress to pass the reforms he had promised with the support of all sectors, both right and left. At the beginning of April, he suffered his biggest defeat in Congress when senators shelved his controversial health reform.
“The president must build on what has been built, but instead he wants to destroy the health and education systems. He is leading the country into chaos, and we still have two years of misgovernment left, so I think it is important to come and march peacefully against his government,” said Paola Osorio.
Dissatisfaction increased days ago when Petro proposed a National Constituent Assembly that would change the 1991 Constitution to implement his radical agenda. The 1991 Constitution was drafted after the laying down of arms by the M-19 guerrilla organization, of which Petro was a member.
“I normally don't come out to protests, but I wanted to send a message to the president that he should respect the institutions, regardless of his political position. He cannot be perpetuated in power. That is what he wants to do,” said Alejandro Gomez.
Petro came to power in 2022 and became the first left-wing president in a country that had always been governed by conservatives and moderates. But his popularity continues to decline and polarization in the country continues to increase.
"He continues to sow hatred and divide the country," said Alberto Manrique.