Protests restart in Colombia as tax plan unveiled

Protests against poverty and inequality resumed in Colombia on Tuesday as President Ivan Duque presented a $4 billion tax plan to pay for social programs and pandemic-related expenses.

Thousands joined in marches in Colombia's main cities.

new plan is smaller than a $6.3 billion pack that was presented in April and set off huge protests across Colombia, in which dozens of people were killed.

new proposal places a higher tax burden on companies' earnings while discarding a previous proposal to impose sales taxes on basic items like coffee and salt.

Protesters said new plan does t do eugh to boost spending on education and job creation in Colombia, where ecomy contracted 7% last year and pushed an ditional 3 million people into poverty, according to national statistics department.

position of Central Union of Workers, one of groups that has led anti-government demonstrations, is that original demands are still t met.

union is part of a coalition of unions and student groups that plans to present congress with 10 proposals on dressing Colombia's social and ecomic crisis.

se include dissolving nation’s riot police as well as creating a basic income program that would make monthly payments of $260 to 10 million people.

government’s subsidy program currently provides monthly payments of $40 to 3 million families that are struggling to get by in country of 50 million inhabitants.

new tax plan seeks to maintain se payments, provide subsidies to companies that hire workers d 18 to 28, and also finance university tuition for low and middle income students.

At Tuesday’s demonstrations, which were ticeably smaller than those in April and May, protesters also said y want justice for youths killed recently by police.

Human Rights Watch says it has gared evidence linking police to slaying of 25 protesters during recent wave of demonstrations, while local organizations say number could be higher.