Thousands of demonstrators marched across Colombia on Wednesday, launching the opposition’s first nationwide campaign against right-wing President Abelardo de la Espriella amid mounting friction over proposed spending cuts, labor protections, and restored diplomatic ties with Israel.
Gustavo Petro Leads Opposition Push Against Fiscal Austerity
Colombia is holding its first major day of protests against President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government, drawing unions, social organizations, teachers, and left-wing groups into the streets. Thousands of demonstrators filled major urban centers, including the capital of Bogota, on Wednesday to challenge the administration’s initial economic and security agenda. The nationwide mobilizations are spearheaded by former left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who participated directly in the marches.
The opposition coalition includes the Central Unitary Workers’ Union, the Colombian Federation of Educators, indigenous communities, and political groups. Under Petro’s previous administration, Colombia expanded access to public universities, raised the minimum wage, and strengthened labor protections. Opposition leaders argue those gains are in immediate peril as de la Espriella’s allies advance austerity measures to reduce government spending ahead of Congress’s deadline to approve the 2027 fiscal year budget.
Decree 1525 Sparks Clash Over Police Power and Protest Rights
Tensions on the ground escalated alongside the entry into force of Decree 1525 of 2026, which was signed by the president on Tuesday. The new regulation changes police protocols during demonstrations, granting law enforcement expanded powers to intervene quickly against vandalism or disruptions to essential services.
The government defends the measure as a necessary safeguard, establishing that violence, vandalism and blockades that trample on the rights of millions of citizens will not be tolerated. Critics, however, argue the rules restrict police dialogue and criminalize peaceful dissent.
Ivan Cepeda criticized the administration for enacting the protocol on the same day as the demonstrations. He characterized the move as part of an intimidation strategy against the opposition. While the government warned that violence and roadblocks would not be tolerated, organizers and independent observers pointed out that Wednesday’s demonstrations were largely peaceful.
A New Administration Reverses Course on Foreign Policy and Reform
Beyond fiscal policy and police decrees, demonstrators voiced deep concern over the administration’s broader geopolitical shift. De la Espriella campaigned on a hardline platform to shrink government, curb immigration, and align Colombia’s economic policies with those of United States President Donald Trump.
Protesters also carried Palestinian flags to denounce the opening of a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday. Petro had previously cut diplomatic ties with Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, but the new administration moved swiftly to restore severed relations. Demonstrators drew parallels to Trump’s relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, viewing the embassy opening as an attempt to ignore accusations of Israeli abuses.
As teachers, healthcare workers, and indigenous organizations press their individual grievances into a unified political front, the protests offer an early measure of the opposition’s mobilization capacity. Wednesday’s turnout marks the opening test for political forces seeking to regroup after losing power in August.
