Bogota (Colombia), Jul 21 (AP): Protests towards poverty and inequality resumed in Colombia as President Ivan Duque offered a USD 4 billion tax plan aimed toward serving to the federal government pay for social applications and pandemic-related bills.
Hundreds joined in marches in Colombia’s essential cities on Tuesday whereas Duque outlined to congress his authorities’s achievements and offered a tax plan for financing subsidies to low-income households which have been out of labor through the pandemic.
The brand new plan is smaller than a USD 6.3 billion bundle that was offered in April and set off large protests throughout Colombia, by which dozens of individuals have been killed. The brand new proposal locations a better tax burden on firms’ earnings whereas discarding a earlier proposal to impose gross sales taxes on primary objects like espresso and salt.
Protesters mentioned the brand new plan doesn’t do sufficient to spice up spending on training and job creation in Colombia, the place the economic system contracted 7 per cent final 12 months and pushed a further 3 million folks into poverty, in accordance with the nationwide statistics division.
“Protests proceed as a result of President Duque has not solved any of the issues confronted by Colombian society,” mentioned Francisco Maltes, president of the Central Union of Staff, one of many teams that has led anti-government demonstrations.
His union is a part of a coalition of unions and pupil teams that plans to current congress with 10 proposals on addressing Colombia’s social and financial disaster. These embody dissolving the nation’s riot police in addition to making a primary revenue program that may make month-to-month funds of USD 260 to 10 million folks.
The federal government’s subsidy program at the moment gives month-to-month funds of USD 40 to three million households which might be struggling to get by within the nation of fifty million inhabitants. The brand new tax plan seeks to keep up these funds, present subsidies to firms that rent staff aged 18 to twenty-eight, and likewise finance college tuition for low and middle-income college students.
At Tuesday’s demonstrations, which have been noticeably smaller than these in April and Could, protesters additionally mentioned they need justice for teens killed lately by police. Human Rights Watch says it has gathered proof linking police to the slaying of 25 protesters through the current wave of demonstrations, whereas native organisations say the quantity might be larger.
“Our nation is in mourning,” mentioned Atala Ojeda, a pensioner who joined one of many marches in Bogota, carrying a Colombian flag with a black ribbon. “Each month we’re dropping younger folks and social leaders.” (AP) DIV DIV
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