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Saturday, October 24, 2026English edition
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The Geopolitician

Country risk, from the local press

Colombia · Country watch

El Niño Strains Energy, Medellín Gas Cuts

Colombia faces energy challenges due to El Niño and gas supply issues in Medellín, impacting industrial operations.

· · 4 sources

The picture Deteriorating How this is judged →

Business conditions in Colombia are deteriorating due to energy supply challenges from El Niño and gas cuts affecting Medellín industries. These disruptions could lead to increased operational costs and production delays.

Flare-up watch: Watch what this means → — All Colombia briefings →

In this briefing XM (Colombia) · El Niño · Empresas Públicas de Medellín · Medellín · Banco de Bogotá

Regulation

Nothing significant reported today.

Disruption

  • Energy

El Niño challenges Colombia's energy supply

Colombia's energy sector is under pressure due to the El Niño phenomenon, which is causing dry conditions that may affect energy supply. XM, the operator of Colombia's electricity grid, warns of potential difficulties in meeting demand between February and April 2027 if the dry conditions persist and thermal generation support is insufficient, according to El Tiempo Economía. The energy sector is urged to conserve water and increase thermal generation to mitigate the impact.

Impact Energy producers and consumers in Colombia face potential supply challenges and increased costs due to El Niño's impact.

Sources: El Tiempo Economía ↗

  • Energy
  • Manufacturing

Gas supply cuts affect Medellín industries

Centro de Medellín en dron
Centro de Medellín en dron Juan Gómez, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Industrial companies in Medellín's surrounding areas, including Barbosa, Bello, Copacabana, and Girardota, have reported gas supply cuts due to reduced pressure on October 23, 2026. Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) is working to restore service, but affected businesses have requested official information from the national government on the restrictions and measures to ensure service continuity, according to El Colombiano.

Impact Manufacturers in Medellín face operational disruptions and potential production delays due to gas supply issues.

Sources: El Colombiano ↗

Internal tension

Nothing significant reported today.

Safety & health

Nothing significant reported today.

Companies

Nothing significant reported today.

Markets

  • Retail
  • Automotive

Colombian commerce shows mixed performance

Bank of Bogota Build
Bank of Bogota Build Lantonium, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

An analysis by Banco de Bogotá reveals that Colombia's commerce sector is experiencing mixed performance. While the automotive sector shows apparent growth, five out of 19 commercial branches are in negative territory, according to Valora Analitik. This highlights underlying weaknesses in the broader retail sector despite some areas of strength.

Impact Retailers and automotive companies in Colombia face varied market conditions, with some sectors underperforming.

Sources: Valora Analitik ↗

Trade

Nothing significant reported today.

Politics

Nothing significant reported today.

Also today in Colombia

Sources in this briefing

Sources: each headline links to the original article on the publisher's site.

All Colombia briefings →

The same day elsewhere