Thousands of Colombian teachers and students took to the streets in several cities Wednesday, despite an earlier agreement with the government to suspend an indefinite strike.

In the capital, several streets were closed due to more than 2,500 marching teachers, who defied a Colombian Teachers' Federation (Fecode) order to end the days-old strike.

In the southwestern town of Cali, 5,000 teachers marched and similar protests were held in the southern department of Narino and northern department of Antioquia.

Teachers around the country are demanding better salaries and a health plan, as well as more government spending to compensate for cutbacks since 2002. Teachers' representatives said the strike would continue until Tuesday's agreement was discussed and approved by all the teachers' unions in the country.

Meanwhile, a large group of students from the National University and the Teaching University rallied at Bogota's central Bolivar Square on Wednesday as part of a demonstration called by the National Students Broad Front (MANE).

Fecode President Luis Alberto Grubert said Tuesday the strike was suspended and he was confident any remaining disagreements would be worked out.

"There are technical matters that have to be resolved through consultation," he said.

According to Education Minister Maria Fernanda Campo, the agreement reached between Fecode and the government Tuesday called for a substantial investment to improve the salaries, work conditions, health and quality of life of the country's more than 320,000 teachers.