Latest news with #Congreso
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colombia lower house approves pension reform, again
BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombia's lower house approved on Saturday, for the second time, a pension reform supported by leftist President Gustavo Petro, after the constitutional court ordered a repetition of the ballot because of procedural irregularities. The court's June decision did not rule on the bill's constitutionality but required the lower house to vote again on the version approved by the Senate, saying there was not enough debate held ahead of the first vote in June 2024. The bill was backed by 97 lawmakers on Saturday, while one voted against it. The measure was supposed to come into force in July but will not be valid until the court approves it, the court ruling said. The bill is meant to strengthen state pension fund Colpensiones by requiring those who earn less than $800 per month to save with the fund. It ensures payments for those without sufficient retirement savings, or with no savings at all. The legislation, which reduces the number of weeks women who have children must accumulate in order to be eligible for pensions, will not affect people who have already notched enough weeks to be within striking distance of retirement. It does not change Colombia's pension age, which is 62 for men and 57 for women. The government estimates that some 2.6 million older adults will benefit from the payments to those with no or insufficient pension savings. Petro's ambitious economic and social reforms have faced uphill battles in Congress, though lawmakers in June backed a labor reform similar to an original proposal backed by Petro's government which was initially rejected.
Reuters
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Colombia lower house approves pension reform, again
BOGOTA, June 28 (Reuters) - Colombia's lower house approved on Saturday, for the second time, a pension reform supported by leftist President Gustavo Petro, after the constitutional court ordered a repetition of the ballot because of procedural irregularities. The court's June decision did not rule on the bill's constitutionality but required the lower house to vote again on the version approved by the Senate, saying there was not enough debate held ahead of the first vote in June 2024. The bill was backed by 97 lawmakers on Saturday, while one voted against it. The measure was supposed to come into force in July but will not be valid until the court approves it, the court ruling said. The bill is meant to strengthen state pension fund Colpensiones by requiring those who earn less than $800 per month to save with the fund. It ensures payments for those without sufficient retirement savings, or with no savings at all. The legislation, which reduces the number of weeks women who have children must accumulate in order to be eligible for pensions, will not affect people who have already notched enough weeks to be within striking distance of retirement. It does not change Colombia's pension age, which is 62 for men and 57 for women. The government estimates that some 2.6 million older adults will benefit from the payments to those with no or insufficient pension savings. Petro's ambitious economic and social reforms have faced uphill battles in Congress, though lawmakers in June backed a labor reform similar to an original proposal backed by Petro's government which was initially rejected.
Washington Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Colombian court halts investigation into presidential campaign funds
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia's Constitutional Court on Thursday stopped an electoral body from investigating accusations of illicit campaign financing and unreported spending by President Gustavo Petro , delivering a legal victory to the beleaguered left-wing leader. The court ruled that only Congress can investigate alleged irregularities in the financing of Petro's 2022 campaign. Petro has denied any financial impropriety.
Associated Press
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Colombian court halts investigation into presidential campaign funds
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's Constitutional Court on Thursday stopped an electoral body from investigating accusations of illicit campaign financing and unreported spending by President Gustavo Petro, delivering a legal victory to the beleaguered left-wing leader. The court ruled that only Congress can investigate alleged irregularities in the financing of Petro's 2022 campaign. Petro has denied any financial impropriety. The ruling scraps a probe by the National Electoral Council into whether Petro's campaign exceeded fundraising limits by about $1.2 million and whether it accepted funds from labor organizations, which is banned by Colombian law. The council is an administrative body that supervises the electoral process and oversees campaign financing. It can also impose administrative sanctions, such as hefty fines against campaign staffers. The court ordered the electoral council to refer its investigation to Colombia's House of Representatives. It's unclear whether lawmakers will advance the case. Although Petro often clashes with Congress, lawmakers have never removed a Colombian president from office, even in the face of intense public pressure when investigators in 1996 demonstrated then-President Ernesto Samper's ties to drug cartel financing. Petro fiercely criticized the electoral council as politically motivated, opening another front in his battles against the country's courts, which have overturned some of his key decrees and appointments. The officials on the electoral council planned to examine campaign contributions by unions of public school teachers and oil workers, among others, citing a dozen financial transactions Petro's campaign had allegedly failed to report. On Thursday, Petro applauded the court's decision. 'Well done to the Constitutional Court,' he posted on social media platform X. This was just the latest in a swirl of scandals over the financing of Petro's campaign. The Attorney General's office has also been investigating Petro's son Nicolás over allegations that the campaign took funds from criminal sources, including a notorious former drug trafficker.
Associated Press
26-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Colombia's president signs a labor overhaul into law after 2 failed attempts
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro signed into law on Wednesday a controversial labor overhaul with the potential to profoundly shift the balance of power from employers to workers, a key victory for the left-wing leader even as Congress compelled him to scale back his more radical ambitions. The enactment of the law marks a milestone for a president who has struggled to deliver on his promises to reduce inequality in one of the region's most unequal nations. But it's faced opposition from business leaders and Colombian government bonds have suffered as markets worry about the fiscal and economic effects. The law increases overtime pay for salaried workers and limits the use of short-term contract workers, while requiring companies to provide medical coverage and social security for gig workers like food delivery drivers. It also promises student interns proper contracts and benefits like vacation time and severance pay. Many of Petro's efforts to vastly expand social programs have stalled in Congress , with lawmakers shooting down this labor law twice . Lawmakers let the legislation squeak by last week after Petro's moved to call a public referendum . Petro signs the law at the home of Simón Bolívar Petro signed the legislation at the historic home of 19th-century war hero Simón Bolívar, who led South America's fight against imperial Spain. He posted on social media platform X: 'I sign the labor reform into law before Bolívar and the working people.' 'We must elect a government that will uphold this law and enforce it,' Petro said, alluding to the 2026 presidential elections. Opposition says the law will hurt employment The reform was cheered by trade unions and Petro's political allies Wednesday. But his push to strengthen worker protections has proved controversial, as the expensive benefits are expected to hike up costs for business owners. Petro's government has promised to push through a new bill to help small businesses, though the details remain unclear. Opposition lawmakers have painted a nightmare scenario of mass layoffs that will push more workers into Colombia's already vast informal economy. Many say that the mandated reductions in working hours, increases in overtime pay for Sunday and holiday shifts will especially squeeze small and medium-sized businesses. Already, his government's increased spending and reduced tax income have challenged fiscal stability. Critics also say that the changes won't help informal workers without contracts, who represent over half of Colombia's total labor force, according to the latest figures. The legislation guarantees health and pension benefits for only some gig workers, such as app-based delivery workers. Then there's the question of compliance. 'I want to tell those employers who say they won't implement the labor reform that they're not intelligent,' Petro said on Wednesday. Petro had to scale back the law to get it through Even as he hailed the law, it fell short of Petro's ambitions. He was forced to compromise on some key provisions to push it through a hostile Congress. Provisions stripped from the final version included extended paternity leave, paid leave for women with debilitating menstrual pain and some collective bargaining rights for unions. The signing of the law comes at a tumultuous time for the third largest nation in Latin America, with a wave of bombing attacks shaking the northeast and an assassination attempt on conservative presidential hopeful and senator Miguel Uribe stunning the country. Uribe remains in intensive care.
