May 1 march in Colombia, live | Protestors begin marching toward Plaza de Bolivar on Labor Day

One march, many hashtags

Despite the left’s almost unanimous support for this May Day march, the call to invite citizens to take to the streets has not been focused on. At least four ‘hashtags’ or labels have emerged from areas close to the government. The most official and widespread, used by the same X account of the Presidency and several ministries, is #lemarchoalcambio. It is promoted primarily by senators from the Historical Pact, prominent among them Isabel Cristina Zuleta, Martha Peralta, Esmeralda Hernández and María José Pizarro.

Aida Quilque, a senator from MAIS and NASA leader who also belongs to the Pact, the coalition of parties with which Petro came to power, has decided to amplify her message and use more than one label. “For the ancient struggle for the dignity and rights of the people. #mananayo #lemarchoalcambio #1daymayo2024″; This last ‘hashtag’, in addition to being used to gather marches for Labor Day in other countries, is the one that brings together most of Colombia’s labor unions.

The former mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero, launched his own campaign: #somoslalladelcambio, in which he once again resorted to a metaphor related to vehicles and mechanics to support the government – ​​he had already done so with ‘El Cambio en Primera’. A publication that was interpreted as a signal to Petro’s campaign. By following this hashtag you can see videos of Quintero and politicians close to him, such as Senator Alex Florez or House Representative Alejandro Toro Ramirez, who invite you to march with wrenches in hand. This manual tool used to loosen or tighten nuts and bolts becomes a symbol of the changes he believes still need to be made.

Finally there is the hashtag #Movilización1M, promoted by former Magdalena governor Carlos Caicedo and his Citizen Force movement, which maintains a presence in the media despite losing its status as a political party after the Council of State rejected its resolution. keeps. National Election Council which gave it legal status.