Protests put Colombia's Duque in the hotseat on tax reform

FILE PHOTO: Colombia's President Ivan Duque speaks during a meeting with mayors and governors elected for the new term of office, in Bogota, Colombia November 24, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Widespread street protests in Colombia are likely to force embattled President Ivan Duque to make major changes to his tax reform proposal if he wants to pass the bill before a year-end deadline.

Galvanized by nearly a week of protests and inspired by demonstrations across Latin America, unions are clamouring for the government to scrap the bill, which includes tax cuts for businesses, while opposition parties are trying to slow the legislative debate in hopes of winning concessions.