“2025 in focus” forum: Cuatrecasas analyzes political and economic prospects facing Colombia in 2025

Analyzing the prospects for Colombia in 2025 was the main focus of the forum organized by Cuatrecasas. Important sectoral leaders and experts explored the political and economic climate in Colombia and Latin America, as well as looking at the regulatory and economic opportunities and challenges in different industrial sectors. They also debated matters of great importance regarding foreign investment.

Manuel Quinche, managing partner of Cuatrecasas’s Bogotá office, inaugurated the meeting, putting special emphasis on Colombia's economic uncertainty, as well as the associated risks and opportunities that could arise in the future. He addressed important topics, including energy transition, labor and health reform, the 30% drop in private investment, competitiveness and loss of employment, focusing on the role that law firms play to help overcome a crisis and deliver growth to the country and region. 

“We have designed this event as an invitation to think about the future. We are surrounded by discouraging news that leads us to conclude that we are facing several important economic challenges. In “2025 in focus,” we seek to provide the tools to help us face these challenges and highlight the actions required to activate the economy from the business sector. At the end of the day, the strategy depends on what each one of us, through our companies, can contribute to the development,” said Manuel Quinche.

Then, David Luna took the floor to appeal to the almost 100 attendees to participate in the debate and to not wait for the 2026 elections: “Politics should not be left to the politicians, and experience will be fundamental when facing the challenge that awaits us.” He went on to highlight the importance of the narrative, and of changing discourses and finally, he called on everybody to (i) not renounce security or territorial control, (ii) participate in processes such as Constitutional Court elections, (iii) ensure independence and autonomy of the voting population, and (iv) not lose sight of the “avalanche of projects in Congress.” This is part of a strategy aimed at making projects with less focus on public opinion more likely to be approved, while also seeking to nationalize services.

 

The second conference topic was in the hands of Sebastián Nieto, director of the Latin America and Caribbean unit of the OECD Development Centre, who presented the economic vision for Latin America in 2025: “Post-pandemic growth per capita must be increased; currently it is around 0.7% in the region, a low figure compared to other advanced economies.” He also highlighted the importance of increasing investment rates when developing innovation.

According to Nieto, one of the region’s main challenges is that 40% of households in Latin America have informal employment: “Productivity and informality are linked.” He also made a call to strengthen the credibility and independence of central banks and to manage inflation levels. This would benefit both macroeconomics and social inclusion, particularly in terms of poverty and inequality.

Regarding tax, he pointed out the importance of approaching the OECD level of corporate tax collection, which is close to 10%. To conclude, he emphasized the opportunity to carry out an orderly green transition, agreed on between the public and private sector: “It is a huge opportunity for the region, but it requires coordinated dialog, catering to direct foreign investment.”

The meeting was structured around two panels. The first, “Legal and regulatory opportunities and challenges in the industrial sectors for 2025,” included the following well-known experts: Luz Stella Murgas (Naturgas), Susana Peláez (Cusezar), Juan Carlos Restrepo (British American Tobacco) and Jaime Vargas (partner at Cuatrecasas). Manuel Quinche, managing partner of Cuatrecasas’s Bogotá office, moderated. The panel addressed (i) the current situation of the gas and energy business, including universal access and quality; (ii) decarbonization; (iii) uncertainty in terms of investment; (iv) employment levels; (v) the tax landscape; and (vi) possible reform, budgets and challenges for 2025.

The second panel, “Latin America's economic landscape for 2025,” included three key directors: Andrés Cadena, senior partner of McKinsey & Co; Manuel García, partner managing director of Advent International; and Tatiana Uribe, head of investment bank, Itaú. This was moderated by Felipe Mariño, partner at Cuatrecasas. The panel analyzed the projects and opportunities for foreign and structural investment in Colombia from an investor's point of view.