On May 1, 2026, Colombian workers marked International Labor Day with mobilizations across multiple cities, supporting Gustavo Petro's government. In Neiva, over 1,000 people marched demanding labor reforms and wage equity. The events proceeded peacefully under police oversight.
President Gustavo Petro called for mobilizations in streets and public squares across Colombia on May 1, via his X account. He outlined goals including a vital and mobile minimum wage, reduced work hours aligned with productivity, and changes to public services to curb speculation in energy, water, and waste management.
In Neiva, over 1,000 people, including Universidad Surcolombiana teachers, electricity sector workers, and union leaders, marched from Puente de la Resistencia to Parque Santander. Aspu union president Gabriel Orlando Realpe Benavides highlighted wage disparities between tenured and occasional faculty: “No puede ser que docentes que hacen las mismas funciones tengan una disparidad salarial”.
Electricity Workers' Union member Miguel Antonio Rodríguez Trujillo supported the social reforms: “Hoy estamos manifestando la expresión popular de un pueblo agradecido con el Gobierno por todos los avances en reformas sociales”. Nationally, 67 events occurred in 60 municipalities, with 25,000 police deployed.
In cities like Bogotá, Cali, Pitalito, and Neiva, gatherings featured batucada, Andean music, and speeches against congressional majorities, but no chants against the government. Neiva's Metropolitan Police assigned 157 officers for security.
