The keys to what the 2.0 popular consultation would be like and the debate on the revival of labor

President Gustavo Petro announced on Friday, May 16, that he will resubmit to the Senate the referendum he intends to use to process labor reform, adding a question seeking to lower the price of medicines.

"I am presenting the referendum on Monday, May 19, with a new question that will lower the price of medicines in the country and allow the State to purchase and produce essential medicines and those for the main illnesses that people suffer from ," the president expressed on the social network X.

(See: This is the additional question that the Government will file in the 2.0 popular consultation ).

On Wednesday, May 14, the Senate denied the possibility of holding a referendum on labor reform, after the initiative failed in a committee of the same legislative body last March.

With 49 votes against and 47 in favor, the plenary session of that corporation decided not to implement the government's initiative, a vote that the president has described as "fraud."

" I'm going to submit a request again, as is my right, with the same questions that are included in what we believe didn't sink the Senate, but rather that there was fraud. And I say this because 49 senators are not a majority and prevented the majorities from voting ," Petro told reporters in Shanghai, China, where he concluded an official visit on Friday.

(See: What's next for the Government after the collapse of the referendum? ).

In that regard, the president added: " Let's add another question, there can't be more. Questions that get to the heart of the problem and can bring together the majority of people. Now we're going to talk about health. There can't be any more hoarding of medicines, and the price of medicines can't be speculative. The question is directed at that ."

The Government's bet

Labor reform is part of the reform agenda Petro promised during his campaign , and to advance it, the president has promoted a referendum, which, in his opinion, has " greater elements than what the government had managed to agree on with the House of Representatives in the labor reform " before it was scuttled.

In this regard, the president referred to the decision made by the Senate before rejecting the referendum, in which the Senate revived the labor reform bill that had been scuttled by a legislative committee last March.

" That was overturned by the Seventh Committee, and it's now being revived. It's a step backward for the Senate. They realized they messed up (made a mistake) in a horrific way in Colombia's history. But the consultation was further along ," he emphasized.

For its processing, the Government filed an "urgent message" requesting the Senate to resolve the bill within a maximum of 30 days and postpone any other agenda items until then.

(See: Popular consultation: the evidence that would demonstrate that the vote was not manipulated ).

" We want debate, but we will not allow the people to fall asleep and become naive ," warned Petro, who called on grassroots organizations to gather this weekend " in the municipal plazas " across the country to vote for a national strike, something that is not clear how it will be carried out.

The government's labor reform addresses issues such as reducing the eight-hour workweek, medical leave (including menstrual cramps), decent wages for agricultural workers, and an end to outsourcing, among others.

(See: What happened on April 19, 1970, and why Petro compares it to the rejection of the referendum .)

EFE