Ministro de Hacienda aclaró la polémica por los más de $13.000 millones que costará el foro Celac-África: “Es una prioridad estatégica”

The expenditure of more than $13 billion allocated by the government of Gustavo Petro for organizing the Celac-Africa forum, scheduled for March 20 and 21, 2026, has sparked controversy regarding the priorities of the current administration, which issued a decree of economic emergency at the end of 2025 due to the expected lack of state liquidity and the actual scope of the birregional strategy, preceded by the controversial Celac-EU summit.

In this regard, The Minister of Finance, Germán Ávila, defended on Monday, February 23, the allocation of these substantial resources for the event, indicating that the “south-south” relationship is a crucial bet for the country’s international policy and an opportunity to reposition Colombia, which holds the pro tempore presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, as a regional integration engine.

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Amid the criticisms, Ávila stated that the summit’s agenda will focus on defined economic and financial axes. “Generally speaking, boosting the link between Africa and Latin America has become a strategic priority in areas such as social development, the architecture of a flexible banking system, new capital to spur businesses in emerging markets, and creating regional value chains and diversifying exports,” he expressed.

Ávila, who emphasized the need to focus on business strengthening and a greater analysis of co-financing models, also highlighted the urgency of incorporating themes of inclusion. “It is essential to achieve cooperation in terms of financial inclusion and to push microfinance projects, bank support for SMEs, partnerships of cooperative economies, and implementing programs for the unbanked population,” he said.

The exact amount of the award, which amounts to $13.211 million pesos for the logistics of the event in the capital, was part of a direct contract between the Administrative Department of the Presidency and the state postal company 4-72. In this context, Ávila defended that these funds are aimed at “fulfilling international commitments and strengthening Colombia’s birregional strategic agenda.”

Ávila clarified that the summit “will allow for exchanging many topics with banks and sharing them later in this cooperative relationship with Africa,” and added that the meeting will not be merely symbolic, but aims for concrete results. “We believe it is crucial to generate cooperative commercial alliances to facilitate exports and increase birregional trade by defining operational routes and appropriate infrastructure,” the official emphasized.

Among the agreements proposed, Ávila detailed the importance of operational integration. “It is necessary to build bridges between the banks of both continents and jointly define agreements and integration initiatives. These may include bilateral strategic alliances for correspondent exchange and opening payment channels, trade financing agreements, credit lines to facilitate commercial exchange, and creating regional value chains.”

He also emphasized the importance of coordinating strategies to tackle common issues, amplifying the potential of the “triple transition” through investment platforms in renewable energies and environmental projects. “Strategies such as the triple transition are proposed, developed through country platforms on each continent for investment in renewable energies and designing projects for climate change mitigation and adaptation,” he indicated.

He added that a primary goal of the meeting is to identify investment needs for climate resilience, energy transitions, and nature protection. “As well as addressing issues that concern all developing countries: debt, fiscal vulnerabilities, and climate action,” the minister stated, adding that regarding the challenge of external debt, there is a need for a structural approach to the issue, as “it is not an isolated problem.”

The expenditure coincides with the emergency due to flooding in several regions, especially in Córdoba, raising objections to the priority of public spending. This was compounded by controversies regarding the scope and effectiveness of the forum, considering recent history, such as the recent IV Celac-EU Summit in Santa Marta, which saw marked absences of European leaders and was labeled by the opposition as a failure of Petro’s international policy.