The Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism) hosted the first Foro de Reencuentro Económico CELAC–África at the Ágora Convention Center in Bogotá on March 20, 2026. The event, held as part of a broader high-level forum, aimed to strengthen commercial and investment ties between Colombia and the African continent. During the proceedings, officials identified various sectors for potential growth, including jewelry, agricultural machinery, construction materials, software, digital marketing, and food and beverages.

Minister of Trade Diana Marcela Morales Rojas stated that the forum represents a strategic shift toward trade equity and shared economic opportunities. Over the past four years, the Colombian government has sought to diversify its market reach through economic diplomacy, trade missions, and the establishment of new logistical routes to Africa. Data from 2025 indicates that these efforts have resulted in a significant increase in non-mining and non-energy exports to the continent.

“We aim for this forum to mark the beginning of a new stage: one of strategic cooperation, trade with equity, and the construction of shared opportunities.” — Diana Marcela Morales Rojas, Minister of Trade, Industry, and Tourism.

According to ministry figures, non-mining exports to Africa reached $296.5 million USD in 2025, representing a 112% increase compared to 2024. In terms of volume, these shipments totaled 209,273 tons, a 226.8% rise over the previous year. These goods accounted for 46.6% of Colombia’s total exports to the continent, signaling a shift toward a more diversified export basket. Key products driving this growth include coffee, bananas, machinery, paper, and apparel.

The number of Colombian firms participating in this trade has also expanded. In 2025, 165 companies exported non-mining goods to Africa with values exceeding $10,000 USD, up from 145 companies in 2024. This 15.2% growth in participating firms underscores a transition toward higher value-added exports. Vice President Francia Márquez Mina noted that the economies of Latin America and Africa are complementary, offering potential for the development of new value chains and the utilization of strategic mineral reserves necessary for the global energy transition.

A central component of the forum was a business matchmaking event held on March 17 and 18. Preliminary results from the session show expected trade operations totaling $16 million USD. Nicolás Mejía, Vice President of Exports at ProColombia, characterized the results as a validation of the current market diversification plan. Since the beginning of the current administration, the government has implemented the Estrategia África 2022–2026 to strengthen socioeconomic relations with the region.

Through commercial intelligence analysis, the Colombian government has prioritized nine specific markets for its diplomatic and economic deployment: South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria. These nations serve as the primary focus for the continued implementation of the 2022–2026 strategy.

Above photo: MinCIT/Ricardo Báez.

The well, located in the Tayrona block off the northern coast of Colombia, represents a significant exploration effort in deepwater drilling. The project would Colombia’s  offshore oil and gas production, diversify energy sources, and potentially expand reserves in the face of declining onshore production in the face of Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s opposition to expansion of the petroleum sector.

The Komodo-1 well will reach 3,900 meters or almost 2.5 miles under the Caribbean Sea.

Drilling at such depths presents considerable technical challenges, including extreme pressure and temperature conditions. However, the potential rewards are substantial, with the region believed to hold significant untapped hydrocarbon resources. Named Komodo-1, if successful, the well will reach a depth of 3,900 meters, or 12,800 feet. The ultra deepwater well will exceed the depths of Angola’s Block 48 well, which currently holds the world record at 3,628 meters.

Ecopetrol and Occidental have both emphasized the strategic importance of this project. For Ecopetrol, it aligns with the company’s objectives to enhance its offshore capabilities and explore new sources of revenue. Occidental, with its extensive experience in deepwater drilling, brings technical expertise to the project.

The drilling is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2024, with results anticipated in 2025. If successful, the well could mark a major milestone in offshore oil exploration, not just for Colombia but for the global oil industry.

The outcome of this drilling could have significant implications for Colombia’s energy sector, potentially leading to increased foreign investment and further exploration in the Caribbean basin. It also positions Colombia as a key player in the Latin American offshore oil landscape.

Colombia maintains a compulsory military draft for male high school graduates, or non-graduates 18 and over. Certain exceptions such as conscientious objection was added in 1991. Orphans, victims of conflict, and parents are also excused. Sometimes on Colombian streets, especially in low-income neighborhoods, military can be seen rounding up young males and herding those into trucks who cannot demonstrate proof of exemption. A lottery system exists that randomly exempts certain youths once the armed forces is supplied with ample recruits.

Statute of Benkos Biohó, who escaped from the slave port of Cartagena with 10 others and founded San Basilio de Palenque, about 45 minutes outside of modern day Cartagena. (Photo © Loren Moss)

Most Colombians with partial or even majority African descent do not necessarily self-identify as  NARP, but there are certain groups that maintain a distinct ethnicity that has survived for centuries. For example, the Palenqueros are those who can trace their roots through San Basilio de Palenque, founded in the 15^th century by escaped African captive Benkos Biohó. The Palenqueros speak a unique language that blends Spanish with an African language that can be traced back to what is now Angola.

Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior operates the “Dirección de Asuntos para Comunidades Negras, Afrocolombianas, Raizales y Palenqueras” (Directorate of Black, AfroColombian, Raizales and Palenqueras Community Affairs)

The Colombian Ministry of Justice defines the Raizal community as the “population located in the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which has Afro-Anglo-Antillean cultural roots and whose members have socio-cultural and linguistic characteristics clearly differentiated from those of the rest of the Afro-Colombian population.” San Andrés is a popular Caribbean island vacation destination where the local Raizal population speaks English at home and learns Spanish in grade school. Many if not most of the island residents are completely bilingual.

The ministry goes on to identify Afro Colombian communities as those “of Afro-Colombian descent that have their own culture, share a history and have their own traditions and customs within the rural-urban relationship, which reveal and preserve the consciousness and identity that distinguish them from other ethnic groups.”

The court had previously ruled indigenous (Native American) groups were exempt but expanded their ruling to include NARP members in response to a motion filed by ethnic leaders Pedro Alexander Silva, Jeison Eduardo Palacios Robledo, Ramiro Rodríguez Padilla, Rossana Mejia Caicedo, Adelmo Carabali Rodallega, Juan Carlos Ospina, and Libardo José Ariza Higuera.

Judge Paola Meneses of the court indicated that by omitting NARP communities, the principle of equality was violated to their detriment, since the compulsory conscription exemption was intended to “defend the existence and identity of minorities ethnic groups, in order to protect the cultural diversity of the Colombian nation,” and the omission of  NARP members “constitutes a negative discrimination or inequality, since it prevents the development of cultural aspects of their life in community.”

Headline photo: Palenquero musical group Kombilesa Mi, based out of San Basilio de Palenque (Photo © Loren Moss)

This temporary action is necessary to ensure the health and safety of dogs imported into the United States and to protect the public’s health against the reintroduction of canine rabies virus variant (dog rabies) into the United States.

Dr. Emily Pieracci of the CDC told US News Outlet NPR that during 2020, the CDC discovered over 450 cases of dogs arriving to the US from certain countries with false vaccination certificates, prompting the agency to issue the emergency order.

Last year, the CDC identified a significant increase compared with the previous 2 years in the number of imported dogs that were denied entry into the United States from high-risk countries. Due to reduced flight schedules, dogs denied entry are facing longer wait times to be returned to their country of departure, leading to illness and even death in some cases.

CDC estimates 6% of all dogs imported into the United States arrive from countries at high risk for dog rabies. Inadequately vaccinated dogs are not protected against rabies and are a public health threat. Rabies is fatal in both humans and animals, and the importation of even one rabid dog could result in transmission to humans, pets, and wildlife. Dog rabies has been eliminated from the United States since 2007. This suspension will protect the health and safety of imported dogs by preventing importations of dogs inadequately vaccinated against rabies and will protect the public’s health against the reintroduction of dog rabies.

CDC has coordinated with other federal agencies and entities as necessary to implement this action, and CDC will review this suspension periodically.

Dogs from high-risk countries may be imported only with CDC’s advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit), including dogs imported from a country NOT at high risk if the dogs have been in a high-risk country during the previous 6 months. Such approvals may be granted on a limited case-by-case basis at CDC’s discretion. If your request for advance approval to import a dog is denied, CDC’s written denial will constitute final agency action. No appeals will be allowed.

To request advance written approval, you must follow the instructions at How to Apply for a CDC Dog Import Permit and send an email to CDC at CDCanimalimports@cdc.gov, at least 30 business days (6 weeks) before you intend to enter the United States. Requests cannot be made at the port of entry upon arrival into the United States. Dogs that arrive from high-risk countries without advance written approval from CDC will be denied entry and returned to the country of departure at the importer’s expense.

All dogs from high-risk countries granted advance written approval (CDC Dog Import Permit) must enter the United States at a port of entry with a live animal care facility with a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)-issued Facilities Information and Resource Management System (FIRMS) code. At the time of publication of the FRN, the only approved facility is located at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. CDC will update the list of approved ports of entry at this website as they become available.

Restricted Countries:

Americas & Caribbean

• Belize, Bolivia, Brazil
• Colombia, Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador, El Salvador
• Guatemala, Guyana
• Haiti, Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Peru
• Suriname
• Venezuela

Asia, the Middle East, Europe

• Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan
• Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Brunei
• Cambodia, China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan)
• Georgia
• India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
• Laos, Lebanon
• Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma)
• Nepal, North Korea
• Oman
• Pakistan, Philippines
• Qatar
• Russia
• Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria
• Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan
• Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
• Yemen

Africa

• Algeria, Angola
• Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi
• Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti
• Egypt (Temporary importation suspension of dogs from Egypt until further notice)
• Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ethiopia
• Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
• Kenya
• Lesotho, Liberia, Libya
• Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique
• Namibia, Niger, Nigeria
• Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
• Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan
• Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Togo, Tunisia
• Uganda
• Western Sahara
• Zambia, Zimbabwe

If a country or political unit is not listed above, it is not considered high risk for importing dog rabies into the United States. Therefore, if the country is not listed, CDC strongly recommends a rabies vaccine certificate, but it is not required to enter the United States.

If you want to learn more about how the United States determines risk for importing dog rabies, visit CDC’s Rabies Branch. To learn your risk for rabies as a traveler, see Travelers’ Health.

“We have identified that the centers of consumption for imported meat are centered in Riyadh, the capital of the country; in Mecca where millions of Muslims arrive, and in Jeddah, one of the shopping destinations,” said Leandro Protzen, the COO of Athena Foods Colombia, a subsidiary of Chile-based Minerva Foods.

Colombia already has phytosanitary admissibility in the countries of Russia, Israel, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Peru, Chile, Angola, Curacao, Egypt, Jordan, Georgia, Venezuela, Libya, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Hong Kong.

Saudi Arabia imported $414.3 million USD of beef in 2018, equalling 93,697 tons.

The Frigosinú plant is certified in halal processing to meet muslim dietary requirements, and can process up to 17,000 cattle per month. The company has permits to export to the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Angola, The Congo, Vietnam, and Libya.

Santiago Turizo, general manager of Frigosinú, indicated that “this is a reward for the effort we have been making to meet all the technical requirements. It is also an opportunity to gain participation in a market as important as that of Saudi Arabia. The work with ProColombia and the other state entities has been positive, so much so that they have helped us to join with other companies to be able to meet the volume of exports demanded by some countries.”

Colombian diplomats indicate that they are currently working to certify Colombian beef exports into Kuwait, the European Union, Canada, Indonesia, the United States, China, Algeria & Singapore.

To date, Saudi beef imports have come from 23 national sources, led by Brazil (37%), India (26%) and Australia (18%). Most Saudi beef imports are frozen & boneless (41.9%) followed by refrigerated boneless (25.8%) and frozen cuts (14.1%).

Colombia has the 4th largest cattle herd in Latin America. “The geographical location of the country is privileged to allow feeding cattle to grass throughout the year, without the use of hormones or growth promoters, and respecting the natural cycle of development and fattening of the animal,” said Flavia Santoro, the president of ProColombia.

According to DANE data and analysis of the Ministry of Commerce, in 2018 frozen beef recorded US $ 49.2 million in exports, to destinations such as Russia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. While, last year, fresh or chilled beef reached US $ 18.9 million in international sales, mainly to Jordan, Lebanon and Russia.

In total, in 2018 beef exports were US $ 78.7 million, with a growth of 10.6%, compared to 2017. On the other hand, the variation measured in quantities (tons) registered a growth of 9.5 % between 2017 and 2018, with 19,500 tons. The cattle herd in Colombia is concentrated in the departments of: Antioquia (11.6%), Córdoba (8.6%), Casanare (8.1%), Meta (7.3%) and Santander (6.2% ), according to ICA figures

Image by Reinhard Thrainer from Pixabay

The Bogotá-based firm is now expected to liquidate both Ecopetrol Global Capital S.L.U., a wholly owned subsidiary in the Spanish capital Madrid, and its Frankfurt, Germany-based ECP Oil and Gas Germany, which was a part of Ecopetrol Global Energy S.L.U.

In a statement, Ecopetrol said that the Spanish firm “is currently inactive and is no longer needed by the business group.”

The company added that “the liquidation will be finalized after completing the process of canceling the registration of that company’s branch in Angola, as it has already completed the process of withdrawing from exploratory blocks 38/11 and 39/11 in that country.”