Thousands of Colombians take to the streets to reject proposed reforms and rebuke the president

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Thousands of Colombians have taken to the streets to oppose the policies of President Gustavo Petro, who accused demonstrators of trying to destabilize the government. Protesters in cities including Bogotá, Medellín and Cali on Saturday decried a series of proposed health, labor and pensions reforms and accused Petro’s administration of corruption. The crowd included retired military officials and opposition lawmakers. Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who has denied the accusations, said that only some 20,000 people participated in Saturday’s demonstrations as he accused them of trying to overthrow the government and mock voters.