Colombia: Clashes erupt during national strike against tax reform

Subscribe to our channel! Thousands of people took to the streets of Bogota on Wednesday during a day of mass protests as part of a national strike against the government of Ivan Duque over a contested tax reform. Protesters are seen clashing with riot police on the streets of the Colombian capital. Thousands of Colombians responded in the country’s main cities to the call for a national strike organised by trade unions, indigenous and social organisations to protest against Duque’s tax reform, which proposes an increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) on products and services. Local authorities have reported the death of one person in Cali during unrest in the midst of the national strike. An investigation has been opened. The proposed tax reform would increase taxes on individuals and businesses and eliminate many exemptions. It was originally meant to raise about $6 billion (€5 billion), the equivalent of two percent of the country’s gross domestic product.​ #Bogota #Colombia #protest