Thousands of Colombians take to the streets to reject proposed reforms and rebuke the president

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BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Saturday to oppose the policies of President Gustavo Petro, who accused demonstrators of trying to destabilize the government.

Protesters in cities including Bogotá, Medellín and Cali decried a series of proposed health, labor and pensions reforms and accused Petro’s administration of corruption.

The crowd, which included retired military officials and opposition lawmakers, waved Colombian flags, with some demonstrators holding signs that read, “No to Petro reforms,” and “No to labor reforms.”

“I never expected to have to take to the streets to protest, to give my voice of rejection to this corruption,” said Luis Carlos Hernández as he marched through the streets of Bogotá, referring to Petro’s supporters as “guerrilla bandits.”

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who has denied the accusations, said that only some 20,000 people participated in Saturday’s demonstrations as he accused them of trying to overthrow the government and mock voters.

“In Colombia, we will stop the coup d’état,” he wrote on X.

Saturday’s protest is the latest rebuke against Petro’s reform agenda. Protests began after he took office in 2022, but they have recently gained momentum.