LatinNews Daily - 20 February 2026

*Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro has issued a decree maintaining the 23.7% increase to the minimum wage which was suspended on 13 February by the Consejo de Estado, the country’s top administrative court. Petro said that the decree complies with the court’s demands by including greater detail on the reasons for the minimum wage hike, which has been welcomed by trade unions but received a mixed response from business lobbies. The labour minister, Antonio Sanguino, had previously said on 16 February that the government would push ahead with the increase. Petro announced the new decree as he addressed a pro-government demonstration in the capital Bogotá, amid mobilisations around the country in support of the higher minimum wage. Petro told the crowd that “this is the first living wage in the history of Colombia, or at least since the 1991 constitution” which the government is also aiming to reform. The new minimum wage is Col$1.75m (US$474) per month, with an additional transport subsidy for lower earners of Col$249,000, which was raised by 24.5%.

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