BOGOTA, Colombia

Thousands of Colombians took to the streets Thursday in a series of rallies and marches called by President Gustavo Petro.

The demonstrations were in response to a recent ruling by the Council of State -- Colombia’s highest administrative court --which provisionally suspended the government’s ambitious 23.7% minimum wage increase originally decreed in December.

While the capital, Bogota, served as the epicenter of the unrest, protests were also organized in other key cities including Cali, Medellin and Barranquilla.

In Bogota, the scale of the protests led to significant disruptions when demonstrators blocked major arteries, forcing the suspension of public transportation systems and leaving commuters caught in widespread traffic chaos.

By the afternoon, the various marches converged on the historic Plaza de Bolivar, where trade unions, workers' associations and representatives from Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities gathered.

Addressing a sea of protesters from the heart of the capital, Petro took a hardline stance against the judicial suspension. He announced that his administration would maintain the minimum wage at two million pesos (around $544) -- the exact figure established in the December decree.

The president emphasized that he has not changed a "single digit" of the original increase. He argued that the wage hike is now bolstered by new, rigorous technical studies that justify the amount.

"We are not backing down," Petro declared to the cheering crowd. "We have signed the decree and officially submitted it back to the Council of State for reconsideration."

The Council of State’s intervention served as a "precautionary measure" following several lawsuits. The court pointed to potential legal flaws in the original December decree, specifically questioning whether the government ignored technical requirements mandated by Law 278 of 1996, which requires wage hikes to be balanced against current inflation, national productivity and concerns that excessive hikes could drive businesses into the informal sector.

As the "precautionary suspension" remains in place, the standoff between the executive branch and the judiciary continues to keep the country’s economic future in a state of high tension.