COLOMBIA
Analysts
Juan Carlos Echeverry
Former President of Ecopetrol, Finance Minister
Andrés Escobar Arango
Former Deputy Finance Minister
Mauricio Santa Maria
Former President of ANIF, Planning MinisterDatabanks
Recent Country Insights
Webinar replay - Colombia in turmoil
COLOMBIA · Report · 13 Jun 2025
What is driving the current wave of violence in Colombia? What are the likely consequences for governability, reforms and an eventual consultation on labor reform? What are the implications for the presidential race? How will the central bank act in its June meeting? Visit our calendar page to...
Terror, uncertainty, paranoia
COLOMBIA · In Brief · 09 Jun 2025 · 1 response
It is challenging to interpret the events unfolding in Colombia. There are many antecedents from a distant past that Colombians thought were behind us. Back in the early nineties, many presidential candidates were assassinated in Colombia by the dark forces of narco-trafficking and paramilitarism...
Webinar Replay - Latin America: Fiscal Pressures and Political Shifts
COLOMBIA · Report · 06 Jun 2025
How are the key Latin American countries of Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia navigating their economic challenges amidst political changes? How will Mexico's growth outlook fare in the face of Trump’s trade policy uncertainties and the trend of economic slowdowns during the first year of...
A generation of progress vanishing into thin air
COLOMBIA · Report · 03 Jun 2025
Congress is again analyzing President Gustavo Petro’s labor reform proposal, and the result seems very problematic: it could be even worse than the original proposal. On May 27th, the fourth committee of the Senate approved a version of labor reform, which now moves to the floor of the upper hous...
The IMF says “hmmmm”
COLOMBIA · Report · 01 May 2025 · 1 response
The purpose of the IMF’s flexible line of credit is to help countries with generally sound fundamentals meet balance of payments needs, and boost market confidence during periods of heightened market risk. That is, it was created as a “spare tire” or a bumper to help eligible countries navigate t...
Another minister with an impossible job
COLOMBIA · Report · 31 Mar 2025 · 1 response
The first impression one gets from the latest economic activity results is that Colombia did not take advantage of an enormous opportunity offered by international markets and economic conditions. Oil and coal prices were high over the last two years, as was demand, and 2024 economic growth in th...
One more president putting himself to shame
COLOMBIA · In Brief · 12 Mar 2025 · 5 responses
In Colombia, it is a presidential prerogative to incur in unforced errors precisely when they hurt the most. Namely, convoke a referendum or a plebiscite as a last resort to avoid losing face, and end up in the worst scenario of failing to get the referendum or plebiscite approved, losing face an...
Cabinet outrage ignores realpolitik
COLOMBIA · Report · 28 Feb 2025 · 1 response
The government, as is its custom on every subject, has been quick to celebrate on social media (and everywhere possible) the great 2024 labor market results. Officials say these show that economic recovery is fully underway; that the right is peddling a false tale that the economy is ailing; and ...
Belligerence nearly tanks a critical relationship
COLOMBIA · Report · 31 Jan 2025 · 2 responses
The usual friendly weekend vibe was ruined for many Colombians on Sunday, January 26th, when a dispute over Colombia’s refusal to receive a planeload of undocumented Colombians arriving from the United States broke out between U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro – th...