Grapevine

By Al Jazeera
Sep 7, 2024

Road blocks lifted as Colombia reaches deal with striking truckers

For days, truckers had blocked roads in protest against the end of COVID-era fuel subsidies, snarling transport.

Truckers in Colombia have reached a deal with the government and agreed to lift a five-day road blockade, according to President Gustavo Petro.

The deal, announced on Friday, is aimed at assuaging concerns about Petro’s decision to end diesel fuel subsidies introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Truckers unions had argued the removal of the subsidies would be devastating to their businesses. Their decision to block major thoroughfares in protest led to fears about food and supply shortages in Colombia’s metropolitan areas.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has maintained that the phase-out is necessary to counter a widening budget deficit and to boost funding to education and healthcare.