US EditionColombia Slashes Wages for Its Legislators as Public Spending Balloons Ahead of Election
The 30% wage cut removes a decade-old bonus, lowering legislators' pay to about $9,400 monthly to help fund health, fuel subsidies, and military infrastructure, officials said.
- On Tuesday, President Gustavo Petro in Bogota issued a decree cutting members of Congress' wages by about 30%, eliminating the bonus for special services with the cut effective in July after a new Congress is elected in March.
- The government said the economic emergency decree aims to raise $4 billion this year, framing legislators' wages as 'disproportionate' relative to the average income of the population.
- Last year, Congress members earned approximately $13,000 a month, about 32 times the minimum wage, while most Colombians make about $500 or less; Gustavo Petro received the special services bonus for nearly 20 years.
- The measure frees budget room for insurers, subsidies and security infrastructure, but responses split as Lidio García said Petro aims to `punish` dissenting legislators while Angélica Lozano praised the cut.
- Public spending has risen under Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, exceeding pandemic-era levels, with Colombia's national government budget at roughly $134 billion in 2025 as austerity measures are framed as necessary by decree.
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Colombia's Congress Wage Cuts: A Step Towards Economic Equity
Colombia's Congress Wage Cuts: A Step Towards Economic Equity Colombia's president, Gustavo Petro, has enacted a 30% reduction in the wages of Congress members. This decision seeks to address the economic disparity as the nation grapples with financial constraints. Starting in July, legislators' earnings will drop from around USD 13,000 monthly to USD 9,400, closer to the national wage average.The move has drawn mixed reactions. Senator Angélica…
Associated Press News
Colombia slashes wages for its legislators as public spending balloons ahead of election
Colombia’s president on Tuesday reduced wages for members of Congress by approximately 30%, as the South American nation faces a budget crunch and gets ready to hold elections in the first semester of this year.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, signed a decree that eliminates the special premium of services that the congressmen received and that was around $3,670 per month.
The government of Gustavo Petro has reduced the salaries of the congressmen through a decree that eliminates the million-dollar service premium they receive every month. The measure, confirmed on Tuesday, has had the support of different sectors of public opinion that have long claimed that the salaries of Colombian legislators are exaggerated and are far above other Latin American countries. The reduction will come into effect from July 20, 202…
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