Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Tuesday that he would call a national referendum to allow citizens to decide on his controversial health and labor reforms. This move comes as his proposals face significant opposition and have struggled to gain traction in the country’s legislature.
Petro, who has encountered challenges in advancing the reforms in Congress, did not clarify whether he plans to withdraw the bills from legislative consideration. However, he emphasized the importance of the reforms, which he argues are critical to addressing Colombia’s deep-rooted inequality and poverty.
“Let the people decide,” said Petro, the country’s first leftist president, during a press briefing.
The health reform aims to reduce the influence of private insurers and improve access to healthcare, while the labor reform seeks to reduce working hours and increase overtime pay for employees.
The announcement came shortly after eight members of a 14-member Senate committee revealed plans to present a proposal to reject the labor reform for a second time.
Related topics
