SHOTLIST:
1. Various of people singing "Bye Duque"
2. Various of protests
3. Various of police presence
4. Various of protests
5. SOUNDBITE: Emilia Villamil, leader of the CUT (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores)
""In search of us arriving until May 1 with this blockade, because we are tired of so much tax, of so much barbarism against the people. We are against the tax reform that greatly affects the basic food basket, which increases products by 19% first necessity products, which increases public services because they are also tax payments."
6. Various of protests

STORYLINE:
The Workers Central Unitary (CUT in Spanish) and the National Committee of Strike in Colombia called new protests for this Thursday in several cities of the country, a day after the day of national strike in which thousands of citizens demonstrated against the tax reform promoted by the Government of Iván Duque.

"We call on this Thursday, massively, peacefully and with biosecurity measures to continue this day of strike," said the organizers of the National Committee of Strike in a statement posted on their social networks.

In the note, they highlighted that yesterday's protests, also against the management of the pandemic, were "a great expression of citizenship" while rejecting the episodes of violence that were registered in some demonstrations and that left a total of 26 detained, according to the police.

In addition, they affirmed that there is the possibility of expanding the call to other sectors to resume the dynamics that began with the 2019 national strike, against the government's economic policies.

For his part, the president of the CUT, Francisco Maltés, announced to local media on Wednesday night that the demonstrations will continue this day "in a peaceful, massive way and preserving biosecurity measures."

In addition, he assured that another national strike is expected to take place on May 19 and that this Saturday, Labor Day, protest activities will be carried out "in cities where there is no confinement due to the pandemic."

In the demonstrations on Wednesday, a person died in Cali, in the department of Valle del Cauca, in events that have not yet been clarified, according to the mayor of that city, Jorge Iván Ospina to local media. Similarly, there was another deceased in Neiva, capital of the department of Huila, "without official data on the cause of death" according to the Mayor's Office of that city.

According to the National Police detailed to the local media, there were at least 26 detainees and more than 40 agents injured, in addition to "isolated vandalism events" that occurred in several cities and "looting in a chain of stores in Cali."

After the day of protests in rejection of the Tax reform, the president, Iván Duque, assured through a televised message that the Government will not withdraw the project from the Congress of the Republic "as this will send a negative message impacting the Colombian economy."

The protests come amid an increase in coronavirus cases in the country. As of Wednesday, April 28, Colombia registered 2.8 million positive cases and more than 72,000 people died from Covid-19.