Overview
- Thousands of people marched in major cities on Wednesday in a coordinated campaign led publicly by former president Gustavo Petro and a coalition of leftist parties, trade unions, Indigenous groups and social movements.
- The protests followed an executive decree issued by President Abelardo de la Espriella that gives police broader powers to act quickly against vandalism, blockades and disruptions to essential services.
- Opposition leaders say the marches seek to stop planned spending cuts for the 2027 budget and to defend Petro-era gains such as wider public university access, higher minimum wages and strengthened labour protections.
- Demonstrators also protested the government’s rapid diplomatic shift toward Israel, including the opening of a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, with some carrying Palestinian flags to signal opposition to that move.
- The rallies were largely peaceful and they set up a sustained confrontation that could delay fiscal reforms, increase political polarization and push organizers to consider wider actions such as a national strike in mid-November.