In a Sign of a Healthy Democracy, Colombians Protest President Petro’s Reform Efforts

On Sunday, we saw the promised — and welcome — protests across the country against some of President Gustavo Petro’s reforms.

Street demonstrations are part of any healthy democracy and I have been in Colombia long enough to remember when as a population this country never bothered to protest against anything.

Photo: President Gustavo Petro speaking at the World Economic Forum in January 2023. (Credit: World Economic Forum / Boris Baldinger)

The numbers on the street were neither small nor biblical. “Significant” would be a good term. And, even better, they were peaceful.

The largest numbers, by far, due to political ideology were, as expected, in Medellín with a reported estimate of 300,000. (In reality, it may have been half of that). In the other major cities, numbers were far more modest.

In Medellín, beyond the general protest against the government, there is another, less welcome, whiff in the air — and that is of federalism.

The People’s Republic of Antioquia is more than a fireside joke. There are those here who genuinely believe this province would prosper if left to its own devices, and that belief will always swell the numbers on the street. Quite clearly, this isn’t the case, and Colombia cannot afford the type of schism we are currently seeing between Bogotá and Medellín.

This divide is currently being fueled by the fact that Medellín Mayor Federico “Fico” Gutiérrez stood against Petro in the last election. And certain institutions in the city, which have become politicized over recent years, have joined the clamor of complaint against Petro.

There needs to be a coming together in order for Colombia to advance.

There are disputes over budget disbursements, which are valid. But equally valid are the demands from the ratings agencies (etc.) for Petro to run a disciplined monetary policy.

Some of the themes from the protests are valid. The proposed reforms from Petro do need fine tuning by Congress, but to suggest the pension or health systems of Colombia are perfect is to bend the truth. The 1991 Constitution isn’t perfect either, but there is neither time or the will to alter it.

But beyond this, Colombia needs huge reforms in order to bring some sense of equality. When your bedfellows in the GINI coefficient are Honduras and Haiti, with multiple millions still living in poverty, there is work to be done. And this too requires an articulated response that requires all of the cities (etc.) working together.

What Sunday did show us is the importance of the opposition in a democracy.

But what Colombia cannot accept, or afford, is any sort of federalism. The country isn’t strong enough for that.

Just as enough of the Scottish population ignored the call for independence, hopefully enough of those in Antioquia will ignore those stirring the pot in Medellín.

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