top of page

The Truth Behind Civil Unrest in Colombia

Chiara Espinal


Beginning on April 28th, 2021, several cities across Colombia have held protests in response to an unfavorable tax reform bill introduced by the country's president, Iván Duque. The bill, which was first presented to Colombian citizens on April 26th, was set to replace the fixed corporate income tax rate with a progressive tax rate and eventually put an end to both value-added tax (VAT) systems and personal income tax provisions in the country, according to EY.com. The goal of Duque's proposal was to raise taxes in order to raise revenue by an estimated $6.3 billion dollars. Milenio reports that by 2022, Colombian residents earning more than 2.4 million pesos per month, or 656 dollars, would be able to declare income tax. The bill was then set to be extended to those receiving a salary of over 470 dollars, but the introduction of the bill resulted in immediate outrage due to the fact that the monthly minimum wage in Colombia is just $248 dollars.

To make matters worse, the bill also increased the surcharges on gasoline and diesel ー a move that could negatively impact the country's goods and services chain. Residents wasted no time in voicing their disapproval with Duque's economic efforts, and on May 1st, International Workers Day, crowds swarmed the streets of major cities, including Cali, Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, and Manizales, in protest. President Duque withdrew the bill from Congress shortly after protests began, but longstanding civil upsets over corruption, inequality and limited employment opportunities motivated disgruntled citizens to continue protesting.

Duque has since asked Congress to develop a new tax reform bill to stimulate Colombia's struggling economy. Economic ruin brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has left millions of Colombians unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. The proposed rewrite did little to satisfy protestors who collided with military personnel in several cities. A government-decreed curfew was also instated throughout several parts of the country. Actions taken by the government to halt protests only resulted in additional protests and strikes over allegations of police brutality after 19 people were reported dead and countless others missing following the events.

Citizens and police officers clashed in several major cities, along with reports of looting and vandalism in a number of areas. Authorities used tear gas in failed attempts to disperse protestors, but the situation in Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia, became especially grim with violence linked to protests reaching a country-wide high. Cali police have staunchly denied brutality allegations and the Cali Mayor, Jorge Ivan Ospina, made a remark regarding the reality of the situation in Colombia for most citizens on Twitter, stating, "The vast majority mobilize in peace and say no to looting. No to violence" (DW).

In addition to disagreements over how to best stabilize the country's economy, Colombian citizens have criticized the government's handling of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, with many insisting that the government has set unrealistic vaccination goals that it is not actively working to meet. Colombia's healthcare systems have been over-exhausted by deadly waves of COVID-19 that have ravaged communities. According to the DW, "The country of 50 million residents has recorded the third-highest number of known coronavirus infections in South America, with 2.8 million cases and 73,200 deaths.”

There is no telling what the future holds for Colombia in the coming months, but according to the BBC, anti-government protests in Colombia are unlikely to wane due to the simple fact that citizens have been abused by the government that they rely on for too long. More recent updates by USA Today News report that a total of 47 lives have been lost amid the struggle for justice. Milton Zamora, a Colombian from Dover, New Jersey, put it best to USA Today News, stating, "Until corruption is no longer part of the equation, no tax is going to solve the economic problems of the country."


Click the links below to find out ways you can get involved:



Sources:


Image Source:


Comments

bottom of page