Colombia: New national budget, Ecopetrol endorsements, and AI disinformation

Colombia is facing several significant political and economic developments. In the legislative sphere, the Ministry of Finance has submitted a 2027 national budget proposal totaling 634.9 trillion pesos. This represents an 89 trillion peso increase over 2026, despite previous concerns regarding fiscal sustainability. The proposed budget allocates 392.5 trillion pesos to operations, 155.4 trillion to debt service, and 86.9 trillion to investment, amounting to 29.9% of the GDP.

Regarding state enterprises, governors from hydrocarbon-producing departments—including Meta, Casanare, Arauca, Huila, Santander, and Boyacá—have formally endorsed Ricardo Rodríguez Yee for a seat on the Ecopetrol Board of Directors for the 2025-2029 term. Rodríguez Yee is currently overseeing an internal audit of the company's previous administration.

Additionally, fact-checkers have identified a viral video targeting Senator Iván Cepeda as a deepfake. The AI-generated clip falsely depicts the senator cursing citizens of Santander, whereas the original footage shows him expressing support for the solidarity economy.