"Forty people were detained, and, unfortunately, 42 police officers were injured during the day in the cities of the country, most of them in Cali, where 30 employees were injured," the minister said during a press conference.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 44 buses and 30 public transport stops, 13 bank offices and 5 supermarkets were damaged or burned in the cities of Bogota, Medellin, Neiva and Cali.
Nationwide protests and strikes took place in Colombia on Wednesday against the Sustainable Solidarity Law, a tax reform bill presented earlier this month. Trade unions claim that the proposed reform will lead to at least 1.5 million workers having to pay new taxes.
President Duque has said that the initiative, which is expected to help raise around $6.8 billion, will significantly contribute to efforts aimed at alleviating the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.