COIn his recent speech at Congress, Colombian President Gustavo Petro highlighted poverty reduction figures during his administration. He emphasized that there was no methodological change by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) since 2012, and presented data showing that national monetary poverty dropped to 28% in 2025, marking the lowest level of the century. Petro noted that this represents a decrease of nearly 4 million people from 2022 levels. He also mentioned preliminary data indicating a further drop to 25% in April 2026. The DANE confirmed these figures, stating that the most recent official report, released June 12, 2026, showed a 28% poverty rate, equivalent to 14 million people, and an extreme poverty rate of 9.6%, affecting 4.9 million individuals. This marks the largest decline in monetary poverty in over thirteen years.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the reduction in poverty as a significant achievement under President Petro’s administration, emphasizing the historical significance of the decline. It highlights official data supporting his claims and presents the narrative that his policies have led to substantial improvements
