{
  "id": 10280254,
  "title": "Colombian Congress Members Earn, by Far, More Than Other Latin American Legislators",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/colombian-congress-members-earn-by-far-more-than-other-latin-american",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T19:36:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/27/colombian-congress-members-earn-by-far-more-than-other-latin-american-legislators/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombian congress members earn significantly higher salaries compared to legislators in other Latin American countries, according to a report by the Legislative Directory. This disparity has remained consistent since 2026, despite efforts to reduce their pay.\n\nColombia ranks first in the region, with senators and representatives earning US$17,654 per month. This is a 48.5% increase from the previous year. Mexico's senators follow with US$11,068 per month, and Uruguay's legislators earn US$9,920. Peru, Brazil, and Chile also have legislators in the top five, with salaries of US$9,471, US$9,088, and US$9,007, respectively.\n\nCosta Rica's deputies receive US$8,810 per month, while Guatemala's deputies earn US$8,032. Argentina and Mexico present unique cases, as they have structural salary differences between their chambers. In Mexico, deputies earn US$6,408, and in Argentina, senators and deputies have different salary scales.\n\nOf the countries studied, only Honduras saw a decrease in the value of legislators' allocations, falling from US$4,601 to US$3,833, representing a 16.7% decrease.\n\nDespite efforts to reduce salaries in Colombia over the past decade, all attempts have failed. In 2024, salaries for parliamentarians were increased by 10.8% through a decree signed by then-Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla during Gustavo Petro's administration. However, there continues to be strong resistance within the Colombian Legislature to changing monthly allocations, even as public opinion polls reveal a predominantly unfavorable perception of the Congress of the Republic among Colombians.",
  "summary": "Colombian congress members (senators and representatives to the House) receive higher compensation than their colleagues in the other countries of Latin America. This was established by a report by Legislative Directory, an organization that defines itself as “nonpartisan and independent,” and which also says it has been working for more than 15 years to promote […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Colombian congress members earn US$17,654 monthly, highest in Latin America",
    "Mexico's senators earn US$11,068, second-highest in region",
    "Colombia's salaries have increased 48.5% since 2026 despite reduction efforts"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}