A proposal to reactivate oil exploration
Analyst 05.01.2026 08:55 Updated: 05.01.2026 08:55

TL;DR
- Most presidential candidates in Colombia, excluding Pacto Histórico, favor restarting oil exploration.
- One candidate also advocates for Colombia to regain its mining vocation, focusing on strategic minerals like lithium, copper, and cobalt.
- A four-year paralysis in oil exploration requires more than political will; Colombia needs international promotion to attract investors.
- The merger of the ANH with IPSE shifts the ANH's focus away from hydrocarbons towards rural electrification and renewable energy.
- Venezuela's re-entry into competing for oil investment presents a challenge, despite investor concerns about its political regime and PDVSA's weakened state.
- If an election favors oil exploration, the ANH must immediately work to promote international investment.