“Colombia needs order, we must forge institutional and democratic sustainability”: Frank Pearl, president of ACP

• The IV Great Forum of the Colombian Association of Oil and Gas – ACP “Sustainability Facts” was held in Cali.
• The hydrocarbons sector is determined to contribute to the sustainable development of Colombia, Pearl highlighted. “It is necessary to return to the path of growth and regain trust.”.
• Alejandro Eder, Mayor of Cali, pointed out “what happened yesterday was not an attack against Cali, but against Colombia. The country cannot go back into the hole. We need political will and resources to move forward.”.

. The Colombian Association of Oil and Gas – ACP – started this morning the IV Great Forum “Sustainability Facts” where national and international representatives of the sector gather to analyze, project, and propose actions that contribute to the sustainable development of the country, the regions, and the industry.

In light of the uncertainty and concern over recent security and public order events recorded in different regions of the country, during the opening, Frank Pearl, president of ACP, raised the reflection what are we going to do for Colombia? He lamented the attack on Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe and expressed solidarity with his family and all Colombians who are victims of violence. He also highlighted that the hydrocarbons sector is determined to contribute to sustainable development and that the event in Cali is a support for the city, the Valle del Cauca, and all regions of the country affected by insecurity and violence.

“Colombia needs the talent of its people and the decision to forge a sustainable democracy. The country needs order,”, emphasized the President of ACP. He insisted that institutions are also built by citizens and companies, “it is necessary to move from having a democracy that does not generate results to one that does; we must overcome critical factors, it is necessary to overcome illegality and inequality.”.

At the same time, he was emphatic in highlighting that “the decision regarding the fiscal rule is an enormous irresponsibility that compromises the social and economic development of Colombia.”.

Frank Pearl added that “we have a crisis of institutionalism and we must regain trust. The path the country is on is not healthy for citizens, companies, and the Government. It is necessary to create genuine dialogues, to be willing to listen. We are facing adaptive challenges, not technical ones.”.

“What happened yesterday was not an attack against Cali, but against Colombia”: Alejandro Eder, Mayor of Cali.

At the opening, Alejandro Eder, Mayor of Cali, thanked the attendees for being in Cali and believing in the capital of Valle.“”This is a city that has had difficult decades and its commitment is to recover it. Cali made possible the most successful COP held in recent years. The city is advancing on the path of recovery that has been outlined,”, he pointed out. 

Likewise, he said that “Colombia cannot go back into the hole. We need political will and resources to move forward, we cannot let Colombia fall”. In this regard, the Mayor highlighted that progress has been made in economic, infrastructure, and social matters.

During the day, there was a discussion on the analysis of global and local scenarios, carbon and biodiversity markets, sustainable territorial development models, sustainability in the liquid fuel distribution chain, and social dialogue for the energy transition. Tomorrow, the agenda will continue around the energy transition in the regions, alliances, and public policies for development. A panel of presidential pre-candidates is planned, where they will debate the prospects of the hydrocarbons sector and the country in light of the 2026 electoral campaign.