In stark contrast to previous years of anti-government protests, Colombians are now rallying to support their new president — and push his administration to go further.
The popular forces of Colombia have been at odds with the forces of their state for decades. Yet this year on May Day, crowds of people mobilised not in opposition to their government but in support of its labour reforms and efforts to produce a lasting peace.
This video report was originally commissioned and released by The Real News Network.
Swept into power last year in the aftermath of a popular uprising, President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez have prioritised an agenda to reform the country and build power for working people and oppressed groups such as Afro-Colombians and Indigenous peoples. While conservative elements continue to obstruct this agenda from within the state, the new administration is turning to popular mobilisations such as the ones on May Day to sustain momentum. TRNN reports on May Day from Cali, Colombia, one of the cities hit hardest by the crackdown against anti-government protests in 2021 by the previous Ivan Duque administration.
This story, with the support of the Bertha Foundation, is part of The Real News Network’s ‘Workers of the World’ series, telling the stories of workers around the globe building collective power and redefining the future of work on their own terms: https://therealnews.com/workers-of-th…
Producer: Nick MacWilliam
Videographer: Nick MacWilliam
Video editor: Leo Erhardt
