NEWS:

What is happening in Colombia right now?

#SOSCOLOMBIA

05.05.2021

In Colombia, since April 28, 2021, a National Strike has been taking place against tax policies. The government has decided to tax the basic food basket in the middle of a pandemic, despite the fact that unemployment has increased by 14%.

Official figures state that in March 2020 there were 2,969,000 people unemployed, in March 2021 there are 3,437,000 unemployed people according to DANE.

The minister in charge and who proposed this tax reform, has been involved in millionaire corruption scandals in Colombia, and after 5 days of continuous strike, he resigned. Despite these scandals, he has been nominated as a candidate to be president of the Development Bank of Latin America – CAF. 

Due to citizen pressure, the vice minister of finance Juan Alberto Londoño also resigned from his position. However he was immediately appointed as the new minister of commerce in Colombia.

The government has announced the withdrawal of the document proposing this tax reform, but as of today, it is still in the Colombian congressional system (which would approve it), filed as an Urgent request.

The Colombian government and security forces have been condemned by both the European Union and the United Nations for the ongoing human rights abuses against protestors, social movements and civil society who have taken to the street to oppose the tax policies.