De la Espriella Backs Aid for Older Adults Without Pensions in Colombia
Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella announced that his future government will maintain the Colombia Mayor (Colombia Older People) program and seek to increase the amount of financial assistance received by thousands of older adults who do not have a pension. The proposal aims to strengthen one of the main state support mechanisms for a population facing high levels of economic vulnerability.
During his remarks, De la Espriella stated that older adults without sufficient income will continue to receive government assistance and proposed increasing the assistance provided to the country’s most vulnerable older adults by about 70%.
The announcement seeks to send a message of continuity regarding a program that benefits people who, after working lives often marked by informality, failed to meet the requirements to qualify for a pension.
De la Espriella backs aid for older adults without pensions in Colombia
The Colombia Mayor program —created more than two decades ago during the administration of President Alvaro Uribe— is aimed at older adults living in poverty or vulnerable conditions who do not receive a pension.
The initiative has become one of the main social assistance tools for this segment of the population, particularly for those who reach old age without a stable source of income.
During Gustavo Petro’s administration, the assistance received by around three million older adults increased from 80,000 pesos (approximately US$25) to 230,000 pesos (approximately US$72) per month for women over the age of 70 and men over 75 who were unable to qualify for a pension because they did not have the required number of contributions.
Now, De la Espriella’s proposal consists of progressively increasing the subsidy amount to 400,000 pesos per month (approximately US$125), a figure that would raise the current benefits provided by the program. The president-elect said the measure would help ensure that older adults have better conditions to cover basic needs such as food, medication and essential services.
The announcement comes amid debate over the future of social spending in Colombia. During the presidential campaign, De la Espriella defended reducing the size of the state and making adjustments to the functioning of public administration, but he has also proposed maintaining programs aimed at sectors considered priorities.
In addition, the president-elect said that the increase will be implemented after overcoming the deficit that, according to him, he found in the Colombia Mayor program. According to De la Espriella, the program currently faces a deficit of 3.2 trillion pesos (approximately US$1 billion), the amount needed to cover payments from August through December.
“Once we overcome this disaster, this financial disorder, i will increase the Colombia Mayor subsidy to 400,000 (approximately US$125) month because those who worked their entire lives for this country deserve a dignified old age,” said the president-elect.
Between the continuation of a key program and the fiscal challenge
Colombia Mayor has undergone several modifications in recent years. The outgoing government increased the amount of the transfer for some beneficiaries, with the aim of expanding economic protection for vulnerable older adults.
The new government’s promise seeks to deepen that policy and turn the subsidy into a more impactful form of assistance for those who depend on these resources. According to De la Espriella’s approach, the state should focus its efforts on those facing the greatest economic difficulties, especially older adults who do not have a pension after decades of work.
However, the announcement also raises questions about how the measure will be financed. Increasing the subsidy amount would require more public resources allocated to the program, at a time when the incoming administration has announced plans for austerity and reductions in government spending.
Expanding Colombia Mayor will be one of the social and economic policy challenges facing the incoming administration. The debate will focus on how to guarantee an increase in transfers without affecting other public programs or deepening pressure on the country’s public finances.
The president-elect’s economic team will have to define the mechanisms to make the proposal sustainable, while political and social sectors analyze the scope of a measure that could benefit millions of older Colombians who do not have a pension.