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A new date for a national strike has been announced. The previously scheduled national strike against the administration of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, initially set to take place on February 14th, has been postponed to a new date. On the same day, President Petro called on citizens to discuss three of his major reform proposals in the streets, which will arrive in Congress during the next legislative period: health, pensions, and labor reforms.
Reasons for the Rescheduling of the Strike
Given the President’s call for discussions on the same day, the promoters of the strike have decided to reschedule the mobilization against the national administration. Representative to the Chamber Miguel Polo Polo, who is seeking to lead the national strike, said that in view of the government’s intention to take to the streets on the same day, it is best that opponents take to the streets on another date.
“Due to the insistence of the guerrilla leader to call his troops to the streets on the same day as the opposition, we are forced to reschedule the date to February 15th,” wrote the Congressman on his Twitter account. Polo Polo, who has been calling for social mobilization since January 19th, wrote: “Let him (Gustavo Petro) take his first line out on the 14th, and we will fill the streets the next day.”
Who is planning to protest?
The parliamentarian is inviting truckers, employees and companies in the hydrocarbon sector, taxi drivers, churches, students, retirees, doctors and nurses, and any sector that will be a victim of the government’s reforms to take to the streets. He also closed one of his tweets saying, “We will not let ourselves be screwed over by Petro.”
The language used by the representative to the Chamber to refer to the President and members of his cabinet has brought him problems with other politicians and has been taken to the judiciary. On January 16th, the President of Congress, Roy Barreras, reported Polo Polo to the Supreme Court, alleging that he was committing the crime of aggravated harassment.
Roy Barreras refers to the tweet with which the representative to the Chamber calls for a social mobilization against the national administration. For the President of Congress, these actions by the opponent “far from constituting the exercise of the constitutional right to opposition and free expression, are morally attacking against President Gustavo Petro Urrego and his cabinet.”
How the healthcare system currently works
Healthcare providers in Colombia, known as Empresas Prestadoras de Salud (EPS), play a vital role in ensuring that citizens have access to quality healthcare services. The Colombian government has implemented a number of regulations to ensure that EPS are providing comprehensive services, including preventive and curative care, to their patients. EPS are also responsible for coordinating with other healthcare providers, such as hospitals, to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time.
The EPS system is financed through contributions made by employees, employers, and the government. This financing model helps to ensure that the healthcare services are affordable and accessible to all citizens. The EPS also offers supplementary health insurance plans for those who want to receive additional coverage.
One of the challenges facing the EPS system is ensuring that patients receive timely and adequate care. In some cases, patients have reported long wait times for appointments or procedures. Additionally, there have been reports of difficulties in coordinating care between the EPS and other healthcare providers.
The Colombian government has taken steps to address these challenges, including implementing a nationwide electronic medical record system to improve communication between healthcare providers. The government has also increased its investment in the EPS system to improve the quality of services provided.
