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News > Latin America

Colombian President to Promote Pension, Labor, Health Reforms

  • Colombian President Gustavo Petro (C) in Boyaca, Jan. 27, 2023.

    Colombian President Gustavo Petro (C) in Boyaca, Jan. 27, 2023. | Photo: Twitter/ @petrogustavo

Published 27 January 2023
Opinion

Petro's changes to the pension system will allow the State to deliver a monthly bonus of about US$110 to almost three million older adults who require a pension.

On Thursday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he will shortly send to Congress a set of reforms to the pension, health and labor systems.

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"The reforms will once again guarantee the rights of Colombian men and women," he said, recalling that the Constitution establishes guarantees related to access to pensions, health, work, and public services.

Previously, Petro announced that he would eliminate the intermediation of Health Provider Companies (EPS). This possibility, however, unleashed fierce opposition from political sectors linked to private companies.

His policy goal is to migrate towards a preventive health system which "avoids the disease as far as possible", incorporates doctors to care for people who live in remote places, and care for poor farmers.

"This preventive health model exists in most of the world. From Costa Rica to Europe, it exist where people did not believe the story that health is a business," Petro said, showing himself in favor of greater public intervention in the provision of services to citizens.

The Colombian president also mentioned that the pension reform seeks to ensure that an important part of the contributions be saved in a public fund, since the current system "is a business in which what a citizen saves for years is not enough to have a pension."

The changes to the pension system will also allow the State to deliver a monthly bonus of about US$110 to almost three million older adults who require a pension.

Finally, Petro seeks that Colombians can have labor stability and dignity. His reform will also guarantee rights related to social benefits, vacations, and decent working hours.

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