Colombia is in the midst of a social, economic and political crisis. A controversial tax reform by the government has brought the barrel to overflowing. Our partner organization Paz y Bien, which supports disadvantaged young people and their families in the Colombian city of Cali, is campaigning for the right to peaceful protest, equal opportunities and the prospect of a life without poverty.
Colombia, which has experienced a traumatizing civil war, is on fire. After days of protests, some of them violent and resulting in deaths, against a controversial tax reform, the Colombian government has withdrawn the initiative. But the situation remains explosive.
“We are experiencing a social, economic and political crisis that is unparalleled in Colombia’s recent history,” writes the Paz y Bien Foundation, partner organization of terre des hommes schweiz in the Colombian city of Cali, in its press release of 3 May.
A majority of the Colombian population lives in poverty, according to Paz y Bien. This has worsened as a result of the government’s inadequate management of the pandemic. According to the Colombian national statistics office DANE, 21.02 million people were living in poverty and 7.47 million in extreme poverty in 2020. “Social dissatisfaction is high,” says Paz y Bien.
Even under President Iván Duque, the Colombian government has failed to enable the majority of the population to live in dignity and security, criticizes the Colombian partner organization of terre des hommes schweiz. It is therefore right to protest against this in a peaceful manner.
“As a community, we contribute to safeguarding and enforcing the rights of disadvantaged children, young people and adults and to strengthening their communities,” writes Paz y Bien. “We will continue to work for a just, equal and peaceful Colombian society, free from violence.”
More about the context
Article about Paz y Bien in: Magazine terre des hommes schweiz, No. 4/2020
Photo main image: Jaír Coll, Cali
