Colombia on strike, Biden’s new investment program and more news

Colombians take to the streets to reject new tax reform

Thousands of Colombians in the main cities of the country demonstrated their rejection of the initiative of the National Government to increase taxes. The organizing committee of the National Strike requires President Iván Duque to withdraw this initiative from Congress as they see the economic stability of the middle class compromised due to the increase in collection.

Also read: Why are Colombians on strike on April 28?

During the protests on Wednesday, there were cases of vandalism and violence between civilians and law enforcement. Among the events, the collapse of the statue of Sebastián de Belalcázar in the city of Cali by the indigenous community stands out. Belalcázar was the founder of the city, but also a controversial character for his mistreatment of the indigenous people in colonial times.

Likewise, facts are being investigated that, apparently, would show that several people were injured and even killed by alleged abuse of force by law enforcement. 

The conflict continues on the Colombian-Venezuelan border

For several weeks now, the conflict between Colombian illegal armed groups and the Venezuelan public force continues to increase. The latest official figures speak of 16 Venezuelan soldiers dead (8 in recent days).

The clashes in the state of Apure, bordering Colombia, have also generated an increase in the number of displaced persons who have decided to cross the border to find safety in the department of Arauca on the Colombian side. These facts have been stated by international organizations such as HRW.

The null relationship between the governments of Iván Duque and Nicolás Maduro has made cooperation between the two states difficult. Maduro even accuses Duque of orchestrating actions to destabilize the Venezuelan regime, without being able or wanting to identify those responsible.

Biden completed 100 days of government

With a speech in Congress, Biden presented his first achievements and future plans to the United States. Biden highlighted the progress of the vaccination program that has provided more than 53% of the population with the first dose against Covid.

Biden insisted on an ambitious state investment plan to bolster the welfare state. In the middle of his speech, the Democratic president presented a new $ 1.8 trillion plan aimed at families and education. To finance them, Biden proposes more resources to combat tax evasion, tax increases for companies, and for those citizens who earn more than $ 400,000 annually, from 37% to 39.6%.

The speech also had an important symbolic charge, since, for the first time in history, the people that accompanied the US president were women: Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi. Traditionally, behind the president, stand both the president of Congress and the vice president of the nation. On this occasion both were women.

Castillo leads Fujimori in voting intention

In the second round of elections in Peru, the pollsters favor the leftist leader, Pedro Castillo. According to the survey published by the Institute of Peruvian Studies and the newspaper La República, the teacher and union member has 41.5% of the intention to vote and the daughter of former dictator Alberto Fujimori only 21.5%.

Both the leader of Peru Libre and the candidate of Fuerza Popular will face off in a new ballot on June 6 and the winner will take office on July 28, the date on which the bicentennial of Peru's independence is celebrated.