A mass movement of protestors has been fighting against social injustices caused by the Colombian government since late April. Outrage was sparked by the government putting forward a new tax reform proposal which was to aid those who had been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.
However, people quickly saw through it and noticed how the proposed reforms would put those on low incomes at a huge disadvantage, but hardly even touch those who are well off.
The cause of the protests – what was the proposed tax reform?
Protests began on April 28, which was just after Colombia’s right-wing government proposed the new tax reforms, which would add VAT to services and products as well as just increasing taxes in general. The tax increase was to target large corporations and those who were more well off, however, the reform would allow taxes to be collected from even lower salaries than before, down to anyone with a $656 monthly salary. Smaller businesses would also be affected as they would be taxed more than before.
The proposed tax reform was Colombian President Ivan Duque’s solution to Colombia’s current economic crisis, however, those who are suffering the most from financial issues would be hit the hardest by reforms.
Smaller details of the reform also caught many people off guard, such as adding VAT to funerals and cremations, which horrified many as Colombia are in the middle of their third wave of COVID-19 and have seen over 85,000 deaths. However, items like guns were to remain at a zero rate.
The start of the protests
After reading into the fine print of the proposed tax reforms, people became outraged at what the government were trying to put in place. Ever since late April, tens of thousands of people have been marching throughout different major cities in Colombia to protest against the reforms as well as other socioeconomic injustices.
Due to the outrage, the government withdrew the proposal, but the protests did not stop as people began to protest against many injustices that have been ignored by the government for years, resulting in tension between the people and government.
When the protests first broke out, the Colombian government decided to paint the protesters as far leftist extremists and conspiracy theorists whose voices should not be listened to. The government tried to push the narrative that the protesters were aiming to divide the country and that they were dangerous.
However, the number of protesters grew, and the government were unable to push that narrative any longer as what was happening spread worldwide across social media.
What they are fighting for in Colombia?
As the protests grew across the country, more issues were raised that people were asking the government to address. People have been protesting for a basic income scheme, free tuition at public universities, more help for drug/alcohol addicts, for the protection of the environment, as well as indigenous people fighting for their voices to be heard.
The protesters have been met with violence, with 100s of community leaders being killed over the years, and in the recent protests alone around 40 people have been killed since late April.
There have also been reports of the Colombian police taking advantage of the protests to sexually assault and harass women who are protesting. Monica Godoy, a gender violence expert, said that this is not something new, ‘Its purpose is to intimidate women for participating in politics.’ Due to actions like this among others, the protesters are also asking for the police force in Colombia to be reformed.
As the protests still go on after over a month now, a potential solution can be seen. There have been talks of a ‘pre-agreement between the strike committee and the Colombian government to put an end to the violent protests. It is not known yet whether all of the demands will be met by the government, but it is unlikely for the protesters to give up on what they are fighting for if they see no results.
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