News

Colombia sinks healthcare reform amid pressure from anti-government protests

by Adriaan Alsema

Colombia’s Congress sunk a government-proposed health reform, dealing a major blow to far-right President Ivan Duque on behalf of anti-government protesters on Wednesday.

The health reform is the second major government reform bill to bite the dust after the president withdraw a loathed tax reform proposal earlier this month.

Health Minister Fernando Ruiz, who said he would resign if the reform didn’t make it through Congress, did not immediately respond to the congressional vote.

If Ruiz keeps his word, the health minister would become Duque’s third minister to resign under pressure from the protests that kicked off on April 28.

Former Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla and former Foreign Minister Claudia Blum resigned earlier this month.

Healthcare organizations celebrate decision

Healthcare organizations celebrated the congressional vote that came weeks after they expressed their support for the protests.

The vice-president of the Colombian Medical Federation, Carolina Corcho, expressed her gratitude to those taking part in the protests for pressuring Congress.

The sleeping lion of the Colombian people woke up.

Colombian Medical Federation vice-president Carolina Corcho

Anti-government continue unflinchingly

Outside of Congress, thousands of mainly young people had gathered for the latest day of protests that entered their fourth week on Wednesday.

Also in other cities, protesters took part in massive protests in rejection of Duque and the security forces’ attempts to violently repress the largely peaceful protests.

In Medellin, fans of rival football teams Independiente Medellin and Atletico Nacional marched side by side in opposition of the government.

The Park of Wishes near the public university of Colombia’s second largest city was provisionally renamed Park of Resistance.

In Cali, which has suffered most police brutality during the protests and uprisings, protesters showed no sign of fatigue.

Mayor Jorge Ivan Ospina banned the deployment of controversial riot police unit ESMAD days after the resignation of his city’s police chief over violence against protesters.

A growing number of mayors and governors against the president and Defense Minister Diego Molano, whose order to deploy the National Army escalated violence against protesters.

Bogota women formed the “First Line Mothers” to protest the stigmatization in government-loyal mass media of so called “First Line” protesters who have been carrying shields to protect other protesters against police attacks.

Duque negated the protests and the sinking of his second flagship policy proposal in a press conference in which the president announced that Vice-President Marta Lucia Ramirez had been appointed foreign minister.

Ramirez, a loyal ally of the president’s informal boss, former President Alvaro Uribe, was expected to resign to run for president in next year’s election, but has apparently abandoned any presidential aspirations.

Instead, the new foreign minister will have to defend her government’s controversial response to the protests that has isolated Duque both in Congress and internationally.

The president’s peace commissioner will resume talks with the organizers of Wednesday’s protests on Thursday.