In a nationally televised address, he stated that between 2019 and 2022, during the administration of Ivan Duque (2018-2022), the minimum wage fell by 1.4 percent, while from 2023 to 2025, during his own administration, it rose by 17.7 percent. “It has gone up and it will go up more. This is the change, and it means there is more wealth for the working people of Colombia because that 17.7 percent increase is also nearly four times the 4.7 percent increase between 2015 and 2018,” the president explained.

The decision to increase the minimum wage rests with the president because business associations and labor unions failed to reach an agreement on the matter.

While the former proposed a 7.2 percent increase, the latter advocated for a 16 percent rise to reduce the gap between the minimum wage and the cost of the basic food basket in the country, as they argued.

After several weeks of talks, the parties were unable to reach a consensus, so the increase will be stipulated by presidential decree.

According to statements by the Ministers of Labor, Antonio Sanguino, and the Interior, Armando Benedetti, the increase will be in the double digits.

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