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A new GAD3 poll revealed by Noticias RCN shows Iván Cepeda (Pacto Histórico) leading Colombia’s presidential race with 30% voter intention, followed by Abelardo de la Espriella (Defensores de la Patria) at 22%, and Paloma Valencia (Centro Democrático) at 3%. The survey of 1,207 respondents carries a 2.83% margin of error.

Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Chile continue leading Latin America with the highest hourly labor costs based on 2026 minimum wage rates. The analysis assumes a standard workday of 8 hours daily and 22 working days monthly, though this may differ from legal calculations in each country.

President Gustavo Petro ordered the National Legal Defense Agency (Andje) to recover property from the SPEC regasification plant in Cartagena, claiming it represents an unconstitutional private monopoly that substantially raises electricity tariffs.

An AtlasIntel poll (sponsored by Revista Semana) conducted January 5-8, 2026, reveals Abelardo de la Espriella leading Colombia’s presidential race with 28% voter intention, narrowly ahead of Iván Cepeda at 26.5%. The survey of 4,520 participants carries a 1% margin of error for general results and 3% for party consultations, with 95% confidence level. UPDATED Bottom-Line.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy, led by Minister Edwin Palma, activated an institutional monitoring plan for strategic fuel gas sector projects aimed at strengthening supply and guaranteeing energy system functionality.

We are only a little over two weeks into 2026 and the number one theme from last year, natural gas, is the number one theme this year.

Colombia’s Producer Price Index (IPP) registered an annual decline of 2.63% in December 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, according to La República citing DANE data. The IPP measures price changes at the producer level before goods reach consumers, serving as “an early signal of what may happen later with inflation.”

Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy issued Decree 1428 of 2025, removing private, diplomatic, and official vehicles from diesel price subsidies supported by the Fuel Price Stabilization Fund (FEPC).

Colombian business sectors have launched coordinated legal challenges against President Gustavo Petro’s government over both the 23% minimum wage increase and the broader economic emergency decree.

President Donald Trump warned Cuba it will no longer receive money or oil from Venezuela, stating the island has been “living for years” thanks to Venezuelan money and crude in exchange for “security services” for “the two last dictators (Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro).”