Underlying Colombia’s Protests, ‘an Astonishing Level of Inequality’

Underlying Colombia’s Protests, ‘an Astonishing Level of Inequality’
An anti-government march in Cali, Colombia, May 19, 2021 (AP photo by Andres Gonzalez).

Beginning April 28, Colombians took to the streets for weeks of mass protests that nearly brought the economy to a standstill. The strikes and rallies were sparked by an unpopular tax reform proposal, but the roots of the unrest lie in a starkly unequal system that, to many poor and middle-class Colombians, seems rigged against them. 

While organizers have announced a temporary pause in their activities, further demonstrations are planned for later in the month. On the Trend Lines podcast this week, Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for Colombia at the International Crisis Group, joined WPR’s Elliot Waldman from Bogota to discuss the proximate and historical grievances driving the protests. 

Listen to the full interview with Elizabeth Dickinson here:

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