Colombian President Petro seeks referendum; Congress rejects labor reform

Record ID: 1984320

  • Title: Colombian President Petro seeks referendum; Congress rejects labor reform
  • Date: 18th March 2025
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MARCH 18, 2025) (REUTERS) GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS IN BOLIVAR SQUARE SIGN IN SUPPORT OF REFERENDUM READING (Spanish) "YES TO POPULAR REFERENDUM" COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT GUSTAVO PETRO ON STAGE RAISING FIST SUPPORTERS CHEERING ON PETRO DEMONSTRATION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA, GUSTAVO PETRO, SAYING: "Now it's up to the Congress to demo
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Gustavo Petro government march reform supporters
  • Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
  • City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001988418032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to the Bolivar Square in Bogota to address thousands of government supporters who gathered on Tuesday (March 18) to show their backing of government-proposed health and labor reforms.
    Petro supporters had previously marched through the streets of Bogota before gathering near the Congress building waving Colombian flags and carrying banners with the president's picture.
    The call for mobilization followed significant hurdles faced by the labor reform bill in Congress.
    During his address, Petro doubled down on his call for a national referendum in order for voters to weigh in on his embattled reforms amid a lack of support for the proposals in the country's legislature.
    "It is up to the Senate of the Republic to vote to allow the people to speak," Petro said. "It's up to the people to decide, and the time has come to decide. That's why the proposal for a referendum seems fundamental to me," he added.
    The long-stalled health sector reform aims to strip insurers of power and expand access to healthcare, while the labor reform would reduce working hours and boost overtime pay.
    (Production: Camilo Cohecha, Herbert Villarraga, Javier Andres Rojas, Gloria Lopez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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