Large protests in Colombia in support of President Petro’s labour reforms

The protests travel arsenic the state reels from bombing attacks successful the southwest and attempted assassination of a senator.

Protests person been held successful Colombia arsenic supporters of left-wing President Gustavo Petro explicit their enactment for his projected labour reform, with the state rattled by an eruption of unit successful the past week amid fears of a instrumentality to darker days of assassinations and bombings.

Large numbers of radical took to the streets of the capital, Bogota, and different cities crossed the state connected Wednesday to explicit continued enactment for a referendum connected the betterment projected by the president, adjacent arsenic the Senate debates an alternate bill.

The protests travel arsenic Colombia is inactive reeling from bombing attacks successful the southwest of the state that near 7 dormant and an attempted assassination connected blimpish absorption senator, and statesmanlike hopeful, Miguel Uribe Turbay astatine a run rally successful Bogota.

In the metropolis of Cali, Colombia’s 3rd largest and the centre of Tuesday’s bombing attacks, “there were calls to suspend these rallies” owed to the caller bout of unit successful the country, said Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti, reporting from Bogota.

“However, radical decided to travel retired successful the streets again successful enactment of the government, rejecting the unit of the past days,” said Rampietti.

Bystanders look astatine the wreckage of a car aft it exploded successful beforehand of the City Hall successful Corinto, Cauca department, Colombia, connected June 10, 2025 [Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP]

Petro was successful Cali connected Wednesday greeting to pb a information gathering with section authorities and the subject pursuing Tuesday’s attacks. The president besides said they would beryllium investigating imaginable connections betwixt the bombing attacks and the effort connected Uribe’s life.

The 15-year-old boy, who constabulary judge was a “sicario” oregon hitman moving for money, is accused of trying to assassinate Uribe and was besides charged with carrying a firearm. He was formally charged connected Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor’s bureau said connected Wednesday.

The infirmary treating the legislator said Wednesday that “after 4 days, they are yet seeing immoderate neurological improvement, that helium is present much unchangeable but remains successful captious condition,” said Rampietti. “This has been the astir optimistic study that we’ve seen since he’s been brought to the hospital.”

President Petro has expressed gratitude astir Uribe’s improving condition, Rampietti added.

The bombing onslaught was apt caused by an equipped radical that splintered from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, according to the service and police.

Petro besides participated successful the rallies successful Cali, wherever helium is expected to motion a statesmanlike decree ordering the referendum vote.

In the meantime, the country’s Senate was debating a antithetic substance of the labour betterment that Petro has criticised and labour unions accidental does not sufficiently beforehand workers’ rights.

Following the onslaught connected Uribe, the Senate initially decided to suspend this week’s sessions successful his honour. However, it reversed that determination 24 hours later.

The Senate is “trying to bring it [the labour reform] to a vote” by Thursday, Rampietti added.