'Tourism is now more strategic than coal and oil': Gustavo Petro at Anato 2025

President Gustavo Petro participated this Wednesday in the installation of the 44th version of the Tourism Showcase of the Colombian Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (ANATO) , which will take place from February 26 to 28 at Corferias, Bogotá. As usual, the head of state gave a speech.

In the first part of his speech, the president said that tourism and agriculture are the areas with the best performance in his government. "Agriculture and tourism are what have worked best for us in this period of government that I have been in." In 2024, Colombia broke a tourism record by receiving nearly 6.7 million non-resident visitors.

Later, President Petro assured that tourism is replacing the "carbonized economy" in terms of the wealth that the country obtains through jobs.

He then pointed out that the main source of attraction for tourists should be nature and culture . In this regard, he asked the designated Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, to carry out a plan so that the Public Force prioritizes the care of tourist areas.

Agriculture and tourism are what have worked best for us during this period of government that I have been in.

"When one looks at what the Army and the Police are used for, there is an emphasis - especially in the Army - on protecting the oil pipelines. They are considered strategic points. But they are not considered the same as tourist sites. And it turns out that right now tourism is now more strategic than coal and oil . There has to be a change in the administrative concept in the Public Force. We have to look at a transition in time, where priority is given to the tourist area, the care of the tourist and the tourist assets. We have to rethink things. Protecting a pipeline is not the same as protecting people. That is something I have raised for the Minister of Defense and the Police General. We have to make a concrete plan in this regard. We have to make every beauty zone a zone of peace," he said.

The president then reviewed the work and requested that it be carried out quickly in different regions.

For example, he suggested that the railway line from the port of Bahia Portete in La Guajira should be used by civilians and extended to Valledupar or Santa Marta. " There is a port and a railway line that could be extended to Valledupar or even to Santa Marta ," he said.

He also asked the Minister of Culture, Yannai Kadamani Fonrodona, to organize a major event in Santa Marta that would bring together "the best of Mediterranean culture" in the framework of the 500 years of Santa Marta.

The head of state also criticized the fact that the University of the Caribbean in San Andrés is not yet ready and reiterated that progress must be made on the construction of Aerocafé in Caldas.

Juan Pablo Penagos Ramirez