Colombia’s ambassador to the United States painted a rosy picture of economic growth in Colombia as the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations takes effect Tuesday.
The agreement will be a “catalyst” for infrastructure investment and position Colombia as a “platform for exports” in the region, Gabriel Silva said, according to media reports.
Silva made the comments at a Washington celebration of the FTA’s beginning, hosted by the business organization the Council of the Americas.
He described Colombia’s infrastructure needs as “urgent.”
“Colombia’s infrastructure is poor. We need everything … none of our ports have a decent road leading to them,” he admitted.
Silva said Colombia will continue to seek trade ties with other countries, echoing the words of President Juan Manuel Santos, who described the U.S. FTA as part of an overall push by the government to sign agreements with nations around the world, including China.
The ambassador predicted a spike in investment in Colombia from Brazilian and Chilean-based businesses eager to exploit export advantages presented by the FTA.
In a statement Monday, the ambassador labeled Tuesday as “one of the most important days in the history of relations between the U.S. and Colombia.”
“We started a new era in the commercial and diplomatic alliance of both countries. Under the FTA, Colombia plunged into the big leagues,” he said.
