Ecopetrol fills six board seats to align with new administration

Ecopetrol confirmed the appointment of six new board members following a slate presented by the Ministry of Finance. The decision gives the administration of President Abelardo de la Espriella a working majority on the board of Colombia's largest state-controlled energy company. Three directors appointed during the prior government of Gustavo Petro will remain in their positions.

Carlos Suárez, head of the consulting firm Estrategia y Poder, will serve as the new chairman of the board. The other new members include Colombia's ambassador to Venezuela Jorge Alberto Jaller, Transport Superintendent Ludmilla Vergara, former Asocodis president Camilo Manzur, and Claudia Lafaurie, formerly with the National Hydrocarbons Agency and Canacol Energy's local unit.

The reshuffle aligns with the administration's plan to boost hydrocarbon activity, resume oil exploration, and open the door to domestic fracking projects after activity slowed under earlier energy transition policies. The government also intends to install Joaquín Gutiérrez as Ecopetrol's chief executive officer.

The appointments have prompted mixed reactions. Senator Esmeralda Hernández criticised Suárez for lacking a technical background in oil, while public affairs analyst Gonzalo Araujo cautioned that sidelining industry experts could have negative effects. In contrast, former presidential chief of staff Víctor Muñoz noted that Colombia as majority shareholder regularly appoints trusted advisors, citing previous examples under past administrations.