From hydrocarbons to diversification: the wealth of the subsoil drives the development of Colombia 

When we ask ourselves about the wealth of the Nation, where it is produced and in what it is invested, the answer in Colombia has a clear starting point: the regions, and there the oil and gas sector is present as a socio-economic and environmental engine and dynamizer.  

This industry represents 23% of foreign direct investment, 26% of exports, and 4.4% of national GDP. The previous year, this sector generated around 50 trillion pesos in revenue for the country, including 8.2 trillion in royalties, fundamental resources to finance education, health, infrastructure, and multiple social projects throughout the country. 

In departments such as Meta, Casanare, Arauca, Cesar, and La Guajira, more than 40% of their economy depends on hydrocarbons. There, an essential part of the Nation's wealth is produced, and thanks to these contributions, hospitals, roads, and schools are built. The great challenge, and the shared responsibility, is to convert that wealth into solid foundations for productive and economic diversification, preparing the territories for a sustainable future.  

International experience shows that responsibly harnessing subsoil resources drives energy self-sufficiency and strengthens competitiveness. Colombia must use its hydrocarbon potential as a lever for transformation; this means transforming its contributions into innovation, boosting other sectors, and formalizing economies that today remain informal or under illegal dynamics. 

Properly managing national wealth requires a long-term vision, stable rules of the game, and security in the territories. It is key to regain investors' interest, guarantee legal security, and make energy projects viable, creating the necessary conditions to attract capital and generate employment, infrastructure, and well-being. 

The country faces a false dilemma: leaving resources in the subsoil and assuming greater fiscal challenges, higher rates, and loss of competitiveness, or taking advantage of them, extracting them responsibly, with high technical and environmental standards, to sow new industries and prepare producing regions for the future. The answer should be evident. 

Colombia's wealth lies in its regions and its people, and it needs the engine provided by its natural resources to turn potential into prosperity. On that path, the hydrocarbon sector will continue to be decisive. Our vision is to have oil and gas as strategic allies for productive diversification, fiscal sustainability, and energy security, for the benefit of the development of all Colombians.