Thousands gathered in the southwestern Colombian city of Pasto to protest a hefty property tax hike.
Local media reported Wednesday that close to 2,000 people had descended upon the Plaza del Nariño to express outrage over a property tax hike as high as 600% in some cases.
There are around 80,000 farms in the Pasto municipality, and the tax increase forced a strong reaction from residents, who were heard shouting slogans against Mayor Harold Guerrero and other Pasto City Council members.
RCN Radio reported that residents from the village of Catambuco, south of Pasto, were shocked to find their property tax had increased from $110 last year to $665.
This was the first mobilization against Mayor Guerrero, who agreed to extend tax rebates to those who made their payments promptly just hours before the protests, according to local media.
Guerrero had warned of the difficult financial situation facing the municipality, which he claimed was inherited from his predecessor Dr. Eduardo Alvarado Santander.
The protests garnered support from labor unions in the area.
