Concern about the future of Ecopetrol’s participation in the Permian oil field in the United States has increased after President Gustavo Petro’s repeated request to sell these assets due to their links to fracking. The Workers’ Union Union (USO), the union with the highest representation in the state company, questioned this proposal.
Given the USO’s statement, the senator and presidential candidate of the Democratic Center, María Fernanda Cabal, responded forcefully. He highlighted that the union supported Gustavo Petro’s electoral campaign and, now, openly questions his decisions on energy matters. In her statements, the senator expressed: “Today she is tearing her clothes.”
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“Dear fellow president @petrogustavo, @Ecopetrol produces 60% of the Oil, 80% of the Natural Gas and refines 430 thousand barrels of oil per day to produce 60% of the gasoline, 100% of the diesel, the Jet, the asphalt, plus the petrochemicals consumed by the national industry,” the USO said in its message.
In this context, the union highlighted that Ecopetrol’s activity has allowed the Government to transfer a total of 138 billion pesos from various sources: 41.3 billion in profits distributed as dividends, 31 billion in royalties and 66 billion in taxes.
In one of the sections of its message, the union warned: “Colombia cannot stop producing oil and gas as long as there is demand, because it will lose energy sovereignty. President, We will NOT allow Ecopetrol to sell the Permian, as it would drastically affect the operational and financial performance of the Business Group.”
In response, María Fernanda Cabal recalled the financial support that the union gave to Gustavo Petro’s presidential campaign in 2022, pointing out that this support was a deliberate decision and not a casual fact, and linked that decision to the current consequences facing the hydrocarbon sector.
“The USO union, which today tears its clothes in the face of the threat of destruction of Ecopetrol, must remember that in 2022 it contributed 1,033 million pesos to Petro’s campaign. That was a conscious political act, not an accident. They opted for a project that from the beginning made clear its contempt for the hydrocarbon industry”wrote the legislator belonging to the First Commission of the Senate of the Republic through a message on her account on the social network X.
Cabal also questioned the union’s current position regarding the risks facing Ecopetrol, pointing out that its members actively participated in the political support that facilitated Gustavo Petro’s arrival to the presidency.
The congresswoman pointed out that, given the uncertainty about the sale of strategic assets such as the Permian, the drop in investment for exploration and the official position against fossil fuels, the union cannot adopt an attitude of surprise or indignation regarding the company’s situation.
“Today that Ecopetrol is at risk, that there is talk of selling strategic assets like the Permian, that investment in exploration falls and that the official discourse demonizes fossil fuels, despite the fact that they still support 86% of the company’s cash flow, they cannot play the indignant. “You actively contributed to putting Petro in the Casa de Nariño, and now you must assume the consequences,” he stated.
Finally, the opposition senator affirmed that the defense of Ecopetrol must go beyond public statements in times of crisis, emphasizing that it is an ethical issue and one of responsibility towards the country. Furthermore, he warned that unionism cannot be a participant in political projects that put the national industry at risk.
“Defending Ecopetrol is not just a matter of speeches or statements when the water is up to our necks. It was a matter of principles, of historical responsibility. Trade unionism cannot be a political accomplice of those who seek to destroy the national productive apparatus,” he answered.
