Colombian Government Strategy Meeting After Massive Protests

The Colombian government held an extraordinary meeting last weekend to outline strategies and priorities for the second half of its term. The meeting, which lasted 48 hours, took place in Paipa, in the department of Boyaca, and took place a week after the major anti-government protests on April 21.

President Gustavo Petro participated in the meeting yesterday, Sunday, one day after it began. Until then, the head of the administrative department, Laura Sarabia, a close collaborator of the head of state, and the Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, led the meeting of the extraordinary council of ministers.

Among the main conclusions announced after this meeting were the promotion of social reforms, economic growth and improved communications on the work of the government.

Two days of reflection by the full government of Colombia

In a final appearance before the press, the Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, the Minister of Labor, Gloria Ines Ramirez, and the Director of the National Planning Department, Alexander Lopez, gave an account of the two days of internal work of the extraordinary Council of Ministers over the weekend.

“We have talked and listened to each other, we have referred to our successes to enhance them and to our mistakes to correct them. We have talked about the need to be in constant communication with the whole country, with those who think like us and with those who have observations regarding what we are doing, because we govern for all Colombians”, said the Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, in the appearance before the media, after the two days of reflection taken by the full government in Paipa.

Another of the participants after the meeting, Alexander Lopez, director of the National Planning Department, said that the government has the “most ambitious National Development Plan in social matters in the history of the country”. In this sense, the high official affirmed that “progress has been made in the economic growth of our country in a sustainable manner, we managed to reduce unemployment rates and lower inflation in a way that other countries in the region have not done. In our social areas, in education, we have reduced school dropout rates in just a year and a half”.

Lopez also explained the government’s desire to bring 18 million people out of informal employment with the proposed labor reform that will start parliamentary procedures in the next few days. He also defended the pension reform, recently approved in Congress, explaining that the objective is to “benefit three million older people” by giving them a minimum income.

Government achievements and goals

In a communiqué issued after the end of the meeting, the government explained its “achievements”, in addition to explaining its main strategies in public management. The document cites up to nine points which, according to the Executive, demonstrate the successes of this government, which has been governing Colombia for 17 months.

The document summarizes as one of the main achievements the transition from an extractivist economy to a productive one. Likewise, it recognizes the need to present the progress and evolution of the government’s program. In this sense, the need to periodically report and upload the budget execution was indicated. The document calls for encouraging citizen participation in issues of social interest, something that would go hand in hand with the need to better communicate the government’s work.

Finally, within the framework of strategic planning, the 2025 budget was reviewed, the dates of the goals were set and the legacies that the National Government plans to leave in 2026 were presented. In addition, the need to work as a team and advance in the social change included in the government program was established.

Political action and popular mobilization

The government advocates combining political action, parliamentary action in Congress, with social action in the streets. To this end, it made a call for mobilization next Wednesday, May 1, Labor Day, for the government supporters to show their support in response to the opposition marches of last April 21.

“In Congress we will be taking proposals, ideas, bills and reform bills. We understand that when we arrive at the Legislature we arrive with proposals, not with orders and there we do have a democratic debate that improves our initiatives. To Congress, thank you for the progress we have made in several of our most important laws, in others, with you yourselves, we will start again even from scratch to move forward (with) what the country needs”, said Minister Velasco.

“We reaffirm and reiterate the commitment of this government to the rights of workers, of Colombian people, of Colombians, it is important to say that this is why we will march on May 1st for peace, for life, for social reforms, for health, education, for decent and dignified work. Everyone to the streets, see you on May 1st”, said the Minister of Labor, Gloria Ines Ramirez.