The Colombian government suspended this Thursday (22) the sale of electricity to Ecuador to prioritize its “energy sovereignty”, shortly after the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, announced a 30% tariff on Colombian products, citing a lack of support in the fight against drug trafficking.
The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy issued a resolution “by which International Electricity Transactions (TIE) between Colombia and Ecuador are suspended, as a preventive measure aimed at protecting the country’s sovereignty and energy security, in a context marked by climate variability and early warnings about a possible transition to a new El Niño phenomenon”.
“We continue to believe in energy integration and dialogue between brotherly peoples. However, current conditions, both energy and commercial, do not allow international electricity transactions to be maintained without putting the national supply at risk,” said the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, in a statement.
During the energy crisis experienced by Ecuador due to the drought between 2023 and 2024, Colombia even doubled its electricity shipments to the neighboring country to help mitigate daily blackouts.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, the decision to suspend the sale of electricity to Ecuador “seeks to guarantee internal supply in the face of climate variability and the projected decrease in firm energy in the National Interconnected System”.
“The State’s duty is to guarantee, above all, that homes, industry and essential services in Colombia have safe and reliable energy. This is a responsible, preventive and sovereign decision”, claimed the minister.
Although the statement does not directly mention the surprise announcement made on Wednesday (21) by Noboa, the decision to suspend electricity sales comes one day after the news of the tariff imposition.
The Ecuadorian president stated yesterday that “a 30% security tax will be applied to imports from Colombia” due to the country’s “lack of reciprocity and firm actions” in the fight against drug trafficking.
