Nationwide protests in Colombia as president pushes for reforms

BOGOTA, Colombia

Colombia witnessed nationwide protests Tuesday organized by the government to rally support for a referendum to revive President Gustavo Petro's promise of reforms.

​​The demonstrations served as the government's response to Congress' failure to pass labor and health reforms central to the leftist administration's agenda. Petro announced his intention to bypass the legislative process and seek approval through a referendum.

Protests took place in major cities, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla and Bucaramanga.

Thousands gathered at Plaza de Bolivar in Bogota where Petro delivered a scathing critique of lawmakers who opposed labor reform.

"Lawmakers who have turned against the people, who have betrayed the people and their constituents, whose priorities should be the people's time and beliefs, have betrayed the Colombian people out of greed," he said.

Petro declared Tuesday a "Civic Day" -- a public holiday for government employees to increase turnout at rallies supporting his reforms.

The mayors of several major cities, including Bogota, Medellin, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Sincelejo, Villavicencio and Cali declined to endorse the measure, asserting that government services and schools would operate normally.

Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan affirmed that while the local government respected the right to peaceful protest, public employees would maintain their regular work schedule. Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez and Bucaramanga's Mayor Jaime Andres Beltran also announced that their cities would not observe the Civic Day.

Petro addressed the mayors' refusal to participate.

"They seek to disregard the Constitution, which enshrines social protest as a fundamental right and prohibits any leader from opposing it," said Petro. "The Senate must vote to allow the people to speak, because today, the people must speak. They will not be silenced."