'Leaving this project undone is an economic crime': Juan Carlos Echeverry on the copper mine in Jericó
Juan Carlos Echeverry, new president of Banco de Bogotá. Photo: CEET
TL;DR
- Juan Carlos Echeverry, incoming president of Banco de Bogotá, promotes copper mining as vital for Colombia's fiscal health and export diversification.
- The Quebradona copper project in Jericó, Antioquia, is highlighted for its potential to drive energy transition and generate significant revenue through exports, royalties, and taxes.
- Copper is essential for global energy transmission, computing, and artificial intelligence, offering a pathway away from fossil fuel dependency.
- Developing the Quebradona mine, if approved by 2032, could generate $1.5 billion in annual exports and significant funds for local and national government.
- Echeverry argues that Colombia should shift its perspective from anti-mining to a balanced approach where modern mining coexists with agriculture and other sectors.
- He states that delaying or abandoning the copper project would be an economic crime given the country's needs for poverty and unemployment reduction.