WRLDWorldExplainer NO. ---

Colombia protests: De la Espriella faces first nationwide marches

Crowd estimates ranged from thousands to tens of thousands. De la Espriella says 98% of first-day gatherings were peaceful, while opposition lawmakers challenge Decree 1525, which sets when police may intervene in protests, at the Council of State.

By Rowan Ashby Published 21.10.26 11:57 UTC 7 min read

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella in Cali in August 2026 — Presidencia de la República del Ecuador / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain · Source

Key takeaways

Colombia's opposition, unions, teachers, students and Indigenous groups staged the first nationwide protests against President Abelardo de la Espriella on October 14-15, 2026, about two months after he took office.
Crowd estimates vary: AFP and Al Jazeera reported "thousands" in major cities, while the outlet Colombia Reports said tens of thousands. No official national count has been published.
A day before the marches, the government issued Decree 1525 of 2026, which sets out when police may intervene in protests involving violence, property damage or certain blockades. Opposition lawmakers have challenged it at the Council of State, and the national ombudsman has questioned how it is being applied.
De la Espriella says peaceful protest is guaranteed and that 98% of gatherings on the first day were peaceful, but he has warned that violence and blockades will not be tolerated.
Organizers describe October 14 as a warm-up for a larger national strike planned for November, while Congress races to settle the 2027 budget.

Colombia protests against President Abelardo de la Espriella spread nationwide on October 14-15, about two months after he took office. Unions, students and Indigenous groups marched against spending cuts, labor rollbacks and Decree 1525, new rules on when police may intervene in protests.

This explainer sets out who is protesting, what they want, how the government has responded, and what comes next.

Background: a sharp political turn

De la Espriella, a former defense lawyer and businessman who ran as a political outsider on the right, won a narrow runoff earlier this year and took office in August, succeeding the leftist Gustavo Petro. According to Al Jazeera, his campaign promised to shrink the state, reverse Petro-era reforms, expel large numbers of irregular migrants and align economic policy more closely with US President Donald Trump. His rival, leftist senator Ivan Cepeda, lost by less than one percentage point, AFP reported.

Petro's government had expanded free access to public universities, approved large increases in the minimum wage and strengthened labor protections, including extra pay for night work. It also broke diplomatic relations with Israel over the war in Gaza. The new government has moved in the opposite direction on several fronts: it is pushing spending restraint in the 2027 budget and, on October 14, opened a Colombian embassy in Jerusalem, Al Jazeera reported.

The economic backdrop is tight. The 2027 budget submitted to Congress is worth about 640 trillion pesos, according to Colombian newspaper El Universal, and the government's own document projected a fiscal deficit of 9.4% of GDP, although the finance minister has said he expects it closer to 7.2%. Disputes over cuts to transfers to the regions have slowed the debate.

What happened: timeline

Mid-September: The teachers' federation Fecode and the CUT labor confederation call a national day of protest for October 14 and say a national strike is planned for November, with November 11 and November 20 under discussion, the newspaper Vanguardia reported.
Tuesday, October 13: The government issues Decree 1525, changing the protocol for authorities during demonstrations. De la Espriella said the measure allows authorities to act against "urban terrorism disguised as protest," AFP reported.
Wednesday, October 14: Thousands march in Bogota and other major cities. Petro and Cepeda join the Bogota march. AFP reported that the Bogota protest was peaceful; some demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and a US flag was burned. Some companies asked staff to work from home and some schools suspended classes.
Thursday, October 15: Mobilizations continue on the second day of what organizers called a national strike, according to the Costa Rican outlet CRHoy.
Saturday, October 17: A sit-in outside Bogota's National Museum protests the removal of more than 30 items from its galleries, including the pen used to sign the 2016 peace agreement, El Universal reported. Riot police and a water cannon truck were deployed nearby, and the ombudsman later reported injuries without giving a number.
October 19-20: Congress debates the 2027 budget against a legal deadline. If lawmakers fail to approve it in time, the government can issue it by decree. Bullquill had not confirmed the final vote at the time of writing.

What Decree 1525 does

Issue	Government position	Critics' position
Purpose	Protect public order and citizens' rights while guaranteeing peaceful protest (president's statements)	Makes it easier to use force and limit protest (protest organizers, opposition)
When police can act	Sets eight grounds on which dialogue is considered exhausted and police may intervene, including use of weapons, attacks on journalists or medical teams, destruction of infrastructure, blocking ambulances and creating risks of food or medicine shortages; it keeps the presumption that protests are peaceful (Publimetro)	Dialogue is a principle on paper, but force can be used "very lightly" without exhausting it (Ombudsman Iris Marin)
Blockades	Blockades of ambulances and emergency services will not be tolerated; protest should not override the freedom to work, study and travel (president)	Not every blockade is violent, and the decree does not define clearly what counts as violent protest (Ombudsman)
Legal form	Executive decree regulating police protocol	A fundamental right should be regulated by statutory law passed by Congress; at least two legal challenges filed, including one by Historic Pact lawmakers at the Council of State

Sources: AFP, Al Jazeera, CRHoy, El Universal, Publimetro.

What protesters want

The coalition is broad. According to AFP, CRHoy and Al Jazeera, the main demands include:

Repeal or amendment of Decree 1525 and protection of peaceful protest, without criminalizing road blockades.
No cuts to social spending and protection of Petro-era gains such as free public university access, minimum wage increases and night-work pay.
Education: teachers want funding, better health care for the profession, an end to pay deductions linked to earlier strike days, and repairs to schools damaged in the August 10 earthquake.
Peace process: continued funding for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and implementation of the 2016 accords.
Indigenous rights: prior consultation on projects that affect their territories and opposition to a bill regulating the Indigenous Guard.
Rights and secularism: feminist and LGBTQ+ groups warn of rollbacks and object to religious references in official events.

Some protesters also oppose the restoration of ties with Israel and closer alignment with the Trump administration. Cepeda, who has not recognized the new government as legitimate, called its rule "mafia-style" and said, "We are only warming up," according to Colombia Reports. Human rights groups said security forces placed snipers on rooftops in Bogota and Cali, a claim Bullquill could not verify independently.

How the government responds

De la Espriella has said repeatedly that peaceful protest is a constitutional guarantee. On social media he said that "there is no right to destroy, attack the security forces, assault others or sow chaos," Al Jazeera reported. At the end of the first day he said 98% of gatherings had been peaceful, according to CRHoy. He has described the organizers as a minority trying to paralyze the country and blamed Petro-aligned sectors for the economic situation he says he inherited. Authorities said they acted within the law at the National Museum protest, El Universal reported.

The national ombudsman, Iris Marin, has taken a more critical line. She said police had used force "without sufficiently exhausting" dialogue, called the deployment at the museum unnecessary and disproportionate for a peaceful protest, and said her office has requested information from the defense minister and Bogota city authorities.

What it means

An early test of governability: De la Espriella won by a thin margin and faces a mobilized opposition led by a former president. How he handles protest will shape his ability to pass a budget and reforms.
Protest rights in the courts: The legal challenges to Decree 1525 could produce an important ruling on how far a Colombian government can regulate demonstrations by decree. The memory of the 2021 national strike, which shut down parts of the country and drew international criticism of police conduct, hangs over the debate.
Fiscal pressure: A high projected deficit leaves little room for spending demands, while cuts to regional transfers are unpopular even among some government allies in Congress.
Regional pattern: Colombia joins Argentina and Chile, where new or recent right-leaning governments pursuing spending restraint face street protests led by students, teachers and unions.

What comes next

Budget outcome: Whether Congress approved the 2027 budget before the deadline or the government issues it by decree.
Court challenges: Rulings by the Council of State on Decree 1525.
November strike: Fecode, the CUT and the opposition plan a larger national strike in November; November 11 and November 20 have been discussed, but no final date had been confirmed in the reporting reviewed.
Police conduct: Further reports from the ombudsman on the museum protest and any future demonstrations.

Frequently asked questions

Why are people protesting in Colombia?

Unions, teachers, students, Indigenous groups and the opposition led by former president Gustavo Petro are protesting against possible social spending cuts, the feared rollback of Petro-era labor and education reforms, and Decree 1525, which changes how police respond to demonstrations.

What is Decree 1525 of 2026?

Issued on October 13, 2026, it amends Colombia's protest protocol by setting eight grounds, such as use of weapons, attacks on journalists or medical teams and blocking ambulances, on which dialogue is considered exhausted and police may intervene. Critics, including the national ombudsman, say it makes force too easy to use; it has been challenged in court.

How many people took part?

No official national count has been published. AFP and Al Jazeera reported thousands in major cities, while Colombia Reports said tens of thousands nationwide.

What has President de la Espriella said?

He says peaceful protest is a constitutional guarantee and that 98% of gatherings on the first day were peaceful, but that violence, vandalism and blockades of emergency services will not be tolerated.

Is a national strike planned?

Yes. Fecode, the CUT labor confederation and the opposition are planning a larger national strike in November. November 11 and November 20 have been discussed, but no final date had been confirmed.