Photo: Credhos president Ivan Madero, at the rally on June 11 in Barrancabermeja, with the caption: “Let’s go for the popular consultation”.
On June 11, the Peace Brigades International accompanied Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (Credhos) posted on Facebook: “Here we all say YES. Barrancabermeja says YES to the Popular Consultation, in defense of the rights of the working people, we are going for social reforms.”
The day before, Credhos had also posted on X: “Let’s defend the referendum in the streets! Barrancabermeja, answer the call: let’s go for social reforms and in favor of the country’s working class. See you tomorrow from 5:00 pm on Telecom! #PopularConsultationNow #SocialReforms”
Providing additional context, Aljazeera reports: “Large numbers of people took to the streets of the capital, Bogota, and other cities across the country [including Barrancabermeja on June 11] to express continued support for a referendum on the reform proposed by the president [Gustavo Petro], even as the Senate debates an alternative bill. The protests come as Colombia is still reeling from bombing attacks in the southwest of the country that left seven dead and an attempted assassination on conservative opposition senator, and presidential hopeful, Miguel Uribe Turbay at a campaign rally in Bogota.”
France 24 further explains: “Petro, signed a decree on [June 11] that calls for a referendum or popular consultation on his labor reform project, one of the flagship bets of his government, the first left-wing in the history of the country. With the decree, the president challenges the opposition in the Senate, which sank his reform in March, and which three weeks ago refused to call a popular consultation.”
The position of CUT and CGT on the referendum
La Prensa adds that there is also an ongoing labour reform debate in the Senate, but that “according to the Central Union of Workers [CUT] and the General Confederation of Labor [CGT], the text that came out of the Senate committee does not vindicate the rights of employees. …The trade union organizations therefore consider the popular consultation as the most effective means of providing better working conditions to the salaried class.”
The likely date of the referendum: August 7
Infobae also notes: “As stipulated in Article 2 of the decree [signed by Petro], to which several media outlets had access, the call would be made for August 7, 2025. On that date, Colombians would be called to decide by vote whether to approve or reject a series of proposals related to labor rights, formalization of employment, working conditions, and social guarantees for different sectors.”
Bloomberg, Forbes and W Radio also report that the date of the referendum, if it does in fact proceed, will be August 7.
Could the referendum be stopped?
W Radio reports: It should be noted that the date is tentative, since the Government would repeal the decree that called for the consultation if the essential points of the labor reform, promoted by the Executive, which is discussed on June 11, are approved.”
And El Colombiano explains: “President Gustavo Petro made good on his threat and this Wednesday, skipping the Senate and defying the institutionality, he decided to sign the decree with which he calls for the popular consultation that Congress denied on May 14. Through a message on the social network X, the president formalized the call, although – with a hint of blackmail – he declared himself willing to repeal the document as long as the Senate, which is currently discussing the labor reform, accepts the text that was approved by the House of Representatives.”
Concerns about process
There does seem to be some civil society disagreement, not necessarily with respect to labour rights, but with process.
This statement, signed by Dejusticia, the Center for Research and Popular Education (CINEP/PPP), Temblores ONG and other organizations, argues: “We are aware of the urgent need to advance in profound social reforms that make the mandate of the Social Rule of Law enshrined in the 1991 Constitution a reality. Within these reforms, workers’ rights must be strengthened. …However, calling the popular consultation by decree is a decision that is based on an illegal interpretation that erodes the separation of powers. … The best way to guarantee workers’ rights and citizen participation is to exhaust the available institutional channels, even in scenarios of disagreement and tensions between the branches of public power.”
Past strikes, unfulfilled promises and the bomb attacks
In a longer statement on the bombing attacks, the PBI accompanied Association for Social Research and Action (Nomadesc) references concern about the lack of State compliance with “commitments and agreements” that “leave unprotected those who bravely staged long and intense days of participation, mobilization and protest in the two presidential terms of Álvaro Uribe, the two of Juan Manuel Santos and that of Iván Duque.”
Specifically, Nomadesc notes: “The cases of the victims of the Buenaventura Civic Strike, irrelevant accusations, without security measures, to perpetrators of crimes against humanity or witnesses and threatened victims such as the cases of the murdered young women or sexually abused young girls in the strikes of 2017 (Buenaventura and Chocó), 2019 (National with the use of Collective Panic mechanisms), 2021 (National with the highest number of victims in Cali).”
Accompaniment
Peace Brigades International has accompanied Credhos since 1994, Nomadesc since 2011 and its president Berenice Celeita since 1999.
The first PBI team arrived in Bogota in October 1994.
Reporting on the bombings and gun attacks, The Guardian now reports: “Many Colombians are fearful of a return to the violence of the 1980s and 1990s, when cartel attacks, guerrilla violence and political assassinations were commonplace.”
We continue to follow this.
Further reading: PBI-Colombia accompanied CREDHOS marches on May Day in support of Popular Consultation and labour rights (May 5, 2025).
