National strike against tax reform in Colombia meant to support COVID-19 costs

Colombians protested in the street against a tax reform that would collect up to 2% of the GDP. However, the efforts requested while the Covid-19 crisis isn’t over bring harsh criticism from all parts.

Collecting USD 6 billion with the tax reform

The Colombian President, Ivan Duque, and the Minister of Finance Alberto Carrasquilla presented a draft tax reform to compensate for the deficit caused by Covid-19.

The reform aims to collect 23 billion pesos (USD 6 billion) annually, accounting for about 2.2% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2019.

The bill extends the number of households that will be declaring and be eligible for income tax. Today, half of the population declares revenue, and only 2% of the active population pays income tax. The objective is to reach 9% of the population paying income tax in the next few years.

The tax reform faces criticism, even among the majority, as it impacts the middle class. While the Covid-19 crisis isn’t over, asking the population to make efforts and pay for the deficit isn’t well accepted.

Teachers, unions and students called for a national strike on April 28 and are expected to protest again on May 1.

Colombians protested in the street wearing masks as the country faces a third wave of Covid-19 infections

Unauthorized protest in Bogotá

But in order to prevent the protest, the tribunal of the region that includes Bogotá forbade group gatherings on April 28 and May 1 at the last minute. The medicine council advised against massive gatherings to prevent a surge of Covid-19 infections while the country faces its third wave of infections. Critics considered it infringed fundamental democratic rights and feared police violence under these circumstances.

The protests were still held on April 28, and at least two deaths have been reported.

But other reclamations came along with the tax reform.

In fact, the Comité Nacional del Paro, an organization defending workers, had already called for protests before the reform was laid out. Teachers ask for children to be vaccinated before returning to class. Some are against the use of glyphosate to destroy illegal coca plants, other demands are related to the paramilitary group of ELN.

In 2019, Colombia had already faced a period of national strike that lasted several days and raised tensions so much that the police fired at protestors.

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