Bogotá, (EFE).- Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Friday that a referendum on calling a National Constituent Assembly will be included in the next legislative elections, scheduled for March 2026.
“The people have awakened. They’ve seen clearly who stands with them, who slaps them down, who silences them,” Petro woke on X. “Now this popular knowledge must be expressed where the people are king, at the ballot box.”
The announcement came shortly after Congress approved Petro’s controversial labor reform.
In the same message, the president said he would repeal a previously issued decree calling for a public consultation on labor reform in August, opting instead to push forward with the constitutional vote.
Push for a new constitution
President Petro said he hoped that millions of Colombians would vote to give the next government and Congress a direct mandate to build a stronger social state and deepen democracy.
“I hope the next administration and legislature receive a binding mandate to build a social rule of law, achieve social justice, deepen democracy with the people, and secure peace,” he said.
Talks of a Constituent Assembly have circulated for months, with Petro and his closest allies suggesting the need to rewrite the 1991 Constitution.
However, legal experts and opposition leaders argue that the current Constitution already guarantees citizen rights and that a rewrite is unnecessary.
During a Jun. 11, Petro hinted at the move by claiming that Colombia’s leaders continue to operate under the old 1886 constitutional mindset, focused solely on a “rule of law” rather than the more inclusive “social rule of law” promised by the 1991 document.
Details of the referendum remain limited.
However, Petro’s plan would involve distributing a ballot during the 2026 legislative elections, asking voters whether they support convening a new Constituent Assembly.
To be valid, the measure would require turnout from at least one-third of the 40.9 million registered voters, roughly 13.6 million people.
Labor reform sparks debate
Petro’s constitutional proposal follows the passage of a sweeping labor reform, which includes more than 70 changes to labor law.
The reform affects contract types, night and holiday pay, digital platform workers, and students in vocational training.
One of the key changes is the extension of night shift premiums. Previously, night pay applied from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am. Under the new law, it will begin at 7:00 pm. Sunday and holiday pay will also increase from a 75% bonus to 100%.
Indefinite-term contracts will now become the norm, limiting the renewal of fixed-term contracts to a maximum of four times.
The reform also eliminates service contracts for permanent roles in the public sector, which will impact thousands of government workers.
Platform workers and young jobseekers
The new law formally recognizes gig workers, ensuring access to social security and introducing a monthly connectivity bonus of about 50 dollars.
It also transforms apprenticeships for students at SENA, the national training service, into formal labor relationships, with pay tied to the minimum wage and training stage.
To fight the high of informal employment, which affects nearly 60% of Colombian workers, the reform includes a new program called “Crea Empleo,” (Create Employment), offering payroll subsidies to companies that hire youth, women, and older adults.
While Petro celebrates the labor reform as a win for working-class Colombians, critics warn that the push for a new constitution could destabilize the country’s institutions.
“The Constitution of 1991 still works,” said a legal analyst at the Universidad de los Andes. “Rewriting it is not a legal shortcut, it’s a political gamble.” EFE
jgo-seo/mcd