The President Gustavo Petro settled this Thursday, May 1, the popular consultation with which he hopes to carry out the labor reform, recently sunk in Congress.
(Read: The Popular Government consultation started his career in Congress: what he faces).
In a speech, in which he wielded Bolivar’s sword, he said that it will be the people who decide the course of his reforms.
“Bolivar’s sword commands us and guides us in this struggle for the rights and freedom of the people. The sword guides us and I want to give it to the people”Petro said when he took the ballothed sword in which she was transferred to the square from the Casa de Nariño.
“I want every inhabitant of those who accompanied us and will accompany us on this historic day know that he who runs, that the one who commands is not President Gustavo Petro, is Bolívar’s sword”the president added.
(See: Popular Consultation: The 12 questions that would be asked and are focused on work).
In his speech he also assured that on August 7, 2026, when he finishes his presidential period he will leave, although he subsequently pointed out that “If the Senate ignores the people, the armchair will be tied”.
“After August 7 of the next year, I will leave, but if the Senate of the Republic ignores the people, I am going to tie the armchair with some leaves to see what happens”Said President Gustavo Petro.
Called to Congress
The popular consultation that the president wants to summon the Senate consists of twelve questions focused on the labor reform proposed by the Government and that It was filed in third debate by the seventh commission of the Senate last March.
The questions include, among other issues, The regulation of the working day with a maximum of eight hours a day, the guarantee of medical permits among which including licenses for disabling menstrual pains, fair wages for field workers and the end of labor contracts with intermediaries with intermediaries.
If the Senate approves the call, in the consultation, so that it is valid, it has to vote at least one third of those registered in the electoral census because, otherwise, the result will not be binding although in each question the “yes” obtains the majority.
(Here: ‘The people want to decide’: Petro’s speech on Labor Day).
That means that as in Colombia there are 40,963,370 people enabled to vote, a minimum of 13,654,456 citizens, that is to say 2.3 million more than the votes obtained by Petro in 2022 when he was elected president should listen.
After urging the senators to comply with the voice of the people, which is “Your boss”and approve the call to a popular consultation, the president read a letter from Bolivar that says in one of his sections: “I would like to have a material material to give each Colombian, but I have nothing. I have nothing but heart to love them and a sword to defend them.”. Once the demonstration was completed in the Plaza de Bolívar, Petro went to the Capitol, behind the ballot box that keeps the sword, to present to the Senate the twelve questions of the popular consultation.
Portfolio
With EFE information
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