Colombians, fearing for future, march against right-wing president

Thousands of people have taken to the streets across the country for this National Day of Protest. One of the main flashpoints is a new anti-terrorist bill unveiled by de la Espriella earlier this week. Critics warned that the proposed law would dramatically expand the executive branch's power to crack down on the opposition. The bill broadly defines terrorism as any conduct that generates fear, panic, or anxiety. Protesters warn that such vague language could be used to criminalize social movements, political activism, and even journalism and academic work, which could be labeled as providing intellectual support for terrorism. On the ground, many Colombians fear this could erase the line between actual terrorist activity and the kinds of political or social activity the government simply finds inconvenient. It's worth remembering that under the previous government of Gustavo Petro, social unrest was largely met with dialogue, and the use of force against social movements was comparatively limited. Today, by contrast, Colombians are seeing a heavy deployment of riot police and military troops, and the presence of security forces is adding to the tensions here in Bogota as well as in cities like Cali and Medellin.