‘We can’t keep diesel frozen’: What did Petro say about the diesel price increase?

Through his account on the social network X, President Gustavo Petro referred this Saturday to the $1,904 increase in the price of diesel, A situation that has provoked protests from the country’s freight transporters, who claim that this increase will affect the pockets of Colombians.

(Read: Diesel prices by city, after the first increase of almost $2,000).

However, the head of state said that this decision was necessary because the debt in the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund (FEPC) is affecting the poorest in the country.

“We cannot keep diesel prices frozen because the debt generated affects the poorest who no longer have the budgetary resources to alleviate hunger and educate themselves”wrote the president.

He also pointed out the opposition’s desire to influence transporters. “to stop the roads”.

(Also: Retail price of a gallon of diesel fuel rises by 1.904 pesos).

“I know of the enormous influence of the Uribe leadership of the big trucking companies and their desire from the first day of my government to stop the roads and do what they did with Allende, but the poor cannot be sacrificed as Duque did with gasoline.”.

He added that cargo transportation has passed to large corporations that massively import tractor-trailers and impose the cost of freight, a situation that “has turned the transporter into a paid worker”.

Finally, he said that the Ministry of Transport should help transporters in general to move to cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives and take care of the small independent truck driver who should be protected as was done with taxi drivers and the rise in the price of gasoline.

(Besides: Fenalco says diesel price increase will be another hard blow for Colombians).

“Superintendencies must be ready to investigate companies that decide to cut citizens’ rights or that do not treat their workers well and impose leonine working conditions on them”he concluded.

PORTFOLIO