Weekly Report - 08 May 2025 (WR-25-18)

Hoisting aloft the sword of Simón Bolívar and the flag associated with his War to the Death decree against the Spanish, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro addressed a large crowd gathered in the Plaza de Bolívar outside congress on International Workers’ Day on 1 May. The symbolism was clear. Petro assumed the role of a modern-day Bolívar struggling for “the rights and freedom of the people”, with the senators within as enemies of the people. He then presented the senate with his proposal for a referendum with 12 questions encapsulating the keys points of his government’s labour reform bill rejected by senators in March [WR-25-16].