This week: How protests in Colombia buried a tax reform proposal. Nayib Bukele’s power grab in El Salvador. And Mexico’s enduring violence epidemic.
The Colombian tax reform that never was
After much delay, Colombian President Iván Duque presented his administration’s tax reform proposal last week — but retracted it less than a week later. The bill was panned on multiple fronts, sparking a five-day wave of protests which resulted in several deaths. Mr. Duque was forced to backpedal, withdrawing his proposal until there is “more consensus” on the issue. Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla resigned amid the controversy. How the government will manage to raise revenue amid the pandemic crisis remains uncertain.
- Per the local press and NGOs, the police killed 31 demonstrators — with nearly 1,000 complaints of brutality and sexual assaults committed by law enforcement.
- The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) asked the White House to cut aid to Colombia’s anti-riot police following what it called “unacceptable violence.” During the protests, a riot van was filmed running over a group of protesters.
Why it tanked. The reform proposal was deemed unfair on the middle class. Initially, Mr. Duque aimed to raise USD 6.3 billion by increasing the tax...