Colombian truck drivers block roads to protest diesel price hike

Truck drivers in Bogota blocked several roads in one of several protests across the country against what workers see as excessive price hike in diesel. A strike of truckers has been taking place in Bogota due to the recent price increase of 1,904 Colombian pesos ($0.46) per diesel gallon. The finance minister Ricardo Bonilla Gonzalez shared in a video statement that the increase was necessary as it was an “inefficient subsidy to the Colombian economy” and added that the diesel price had been frozen since January 2020. The national police stated that there are 81 public demonstrations in the country, of which 29 are permanent blockades. With this increase, a gallon of diesel will reach an average of 11,360 pesos ($2.73) in the 13 main cities of the country. - Report from Reuters