The skilled workforce in oil remains essential for decades to come
En Colombia, una disputa sobre el liderazgo de Ecopetrol ha revelado una fractura más profunda entre el gobierno del presidente Petro y el sindicato petrolero USO, dos fuerzas que comparten raíces progresistas pero divergen en su lectura del riesgo y la responsabilidad institucional. Petro defiende a su director ejecutivo Ricardo Roa apelando a los ciclos del mercado global, mientras el sindicato advierte que las vulnerabilidades jurídicas del funcionario podrían comprometer el patrimonio de todos los colombianos. Es la vieja tensión entre la visión estratégica del poder y la cautela de quienes viven las consecuencias desde adentro.
- Petro escaló su defensa de Ricardo Roa en redes sociales, acusando a sectores del USO de alinearse con las mismas fuerzas corruptas que su gobierno combate.
- El sindicato advirtió que los procesos judiciales y administrativos contra Roa exponen a Ecopetrol a sanciones internacionales, incluida la posible congelación de activos por parte de la SEC de Estados Unidos.
- El USO rechazó ser catalogado como oposición de derecha, recordando su historia de resistencia a la privatización bajo el gobierno Uribe y reafirmando su compromiso con la soberanía energética del país.
- La disputa refleja dos diagnósticos irreconciliables: para Petro, los resultados de Ecopetrol dependen del precio del crudo; para el sindicato, la gobernanza y la estabilidad jurídica son igual de determinantes.
- El presidente anunció reuniones urgentes con los representantes del gobierno en la junta directiva para blindar financieramente a la empresa mientras los precios del petróleo permanezcan altos.
El presidente Gustavo Petro ha intensificado su respaldo al presidente ejecutivo de Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa, convirtiendo su defensa en un ataque directo contra el sindicato USO a través de una serie de publicaciones en redes sociales. La confrontación gira en torno a cómo interpretar el desempeño reciente de la empresa estatal y si el liderazgo actual representa un riesgo real para su futuro.
Para Petro, la lógica es clara: los resultados de Ecopetrol están atados al precio internacional del crudo, no a las decisiones gerenciales. Con los precios actuales elevados y los resultados sólidos, el presidente considera que la gestión de Roa queda vindicada. Su crítica más severa apunta a gobiernos anteriores que, según él, despilfarraron una década de bonanza petrolera sin invertir en energías limpias, permitiendo en cambio que miles de millones se perdieran en corrupción. También insinuó que sectores del USO están alineados con esas mismas redes corruptas.
El sindicato respondió el 24 de marzo con un comunicado detallado. El USO no discute los números de la empresa, sino la exposición jurídica de Roa: sus procesos judiciales y administrativos abiertos podrían derivar en sanciones de organismos como la SEC de Estados Unidos, con consecuencias potencialmente irreversibles para los activos de Ecopetrol. La organización también defendió su postura sobre la transición energética, argumentando que los mercados globales seguirán demandando petróleo y gas durante al menos cinco décadas más, y que debilitar el negocio tradicional de Ecopetrol perjudicaría a los trabajadores y a las regiones que dependen de la industria.
Ante la acusación implícita de que cuestionar a Roa equivale a entregarle la empresa a la derecha, el USO señaló que la junta directiva de nueve miembros está controlada por designados del gobierno, lo que hace imposible ese escenario. El sindicato cerró su respuesta apelando al respeto mutuo y reivindicando su papel no como adversario del gobierno, sino como interlocutor con una visión distinta sobre cómo proteger a la empresa y a sus trabajadores.
Petro, por su parte, anunció reuniones urgentes con los representantes gubernamentales en la junta para tomar decisiones estratégicas que aprovechen la ventana actual de precios altos. La tensión entre su enfoque en el rendimiento financiero y la preocupación del USO por la gobernanza corporativa marcará el rumbo de Ecopetrol en los próximos meses.
President Gustavo Petro has escalated his defense of Ecopetrol's chief executive Ricardo Roa, turning his criticism outward toward the USO petroleum workers' union in a series of social media posts that have deepened the rift between the government and one of Colombia's most influential labor organizations. The confrontation centers on how to interpret the state oil company's recent financial performance and what risks, if any, its current leadership poses to the company's future.
Petro's core argument is straightforward: Ecopetrol's results rise and fall with the international price of crude oil, not with management decisions. He pointed to the current moment—when global oil prices are elevated and company results are strong—as evidence that Roa's stewardship is sound. The president reserved his sharpest criticism for previous administrations, which he said squandered a decade of high oil revenues by failing to invest in clean energy infrastructure. Instead, he argued, those governments poured money into projects that hemorrhaged billions of dollars through corruption. "What a shame that during the era of high oil prices that ended in 2015 they didn't invest in clean energy but in projects where thousands of millions of dollars were lost to pure corruption," Petro wrote. He also accused parts of the USO of aligning themselves with the very corrupt figures his government opposes.
The union's concerns, however, center on something different: the legal and administrative vulnerabilities that surround Roa personally. On March 24, the USO issued a detailed response rejecting what it called attempts to paint the union as allied with right-wing opposition forces. The organization has a history of confronting the previous Uribe administration, including striking to defend Ecopetrol against privatization efforts. But the union argued that Roa's situation—marked by ongoing judicial and administrative proceedings—creates genuine exposure for the company. The USO specifically warned that if a body like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission were to determine that Ecopetrol's assets should be frozen due to compliance concerns, the damage would be severe and potentially irreversible.
The USO also reframed the narrative around the company's direction. Rather than accepting Petro's framing that the union opposes him ideologically, the organization insisted its position stems from practical concerns about energy security and workforce stability. The union argued that moving Ecopetrol away from its traditional oil and gas business would weaken rather than strengthen the company, and that global energy markets will continue to demand petroleum and natural gas for at least another five decades. This means the skilled workforce in the oil sector remains essential. The union emphasized it is not opposed to the government on principle, but rather committed to protecting workers, regional economies dependent on oil production, and Colombia's energy sovereignty.
The USO also addressed a political concern implicit in Petro's attacks: the suggestion that removing Roa would hand control of Ecopetrol back to the right. The union pointed out that the company's nine-member board of directors is controlled by government appointees, and any succession—whether temporary or permanent—would be managed by that same board. The right, the USO argued, has no mechanism to reclaim the company through this process. The union closed by appealing for mutual respect and recognition of legitimate disagreement, framing itself not as an enemy of the government but as a partner with a different perspective on how to protect the company and the workers it employs.
Petro has announced he will hold urgent meetings with government representatives on the Ecopetrol board to make strategic decisions aimed at securing the company's future. His stated goal is to use the current window of high international oil prices and strong financial results to lock in investments that will insulate Ecopetrol from the inevitable downturns that come when crude prices fall. The tension between these two visions—Petro's focus on price-driven performance and the USO's emphasis on governance risk—will likely shape the company's direction in the months ahead.
Notable Quotes
Results depend on the international price of oil—if prices rise, results rise; if they fall, they fall— President Gustavo Petro
How can we stay silent if there is a real risk from Roa's continued presence, if an entity like the SEC determines to freeze company assets, the damage would be very serious— USO union
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the president think the union is being unfair to Ricardo Roa?
Petro sees the union's criticism as disconnected from reality. He believes Ecopetrol's results are simply a function of global oil markets—when prices are high, the company performs well; when they fall, it struggles. He thinks the union is using Roa as a scapegoat for forces beyond anyone's control.
But the union isn't really arguing about oil prices, is it?
No. They're worried about something much more specific: Roa's legal exposure. They're saying that if international regulators like the SEC decide there's a compliance problem, they could freeze the company's assets. That's not about management skill—it's about institutional risk.
Does the union actually want Roa removed?
They're not explicitly calling for his removal, but they're signaling that his presence creates danger. They're saying the government should consider whether keeping him is worth the regulatory risk, especially when the board could easily appoint a successor from within the company.
What's the union's real concern about moving away from oil?
They're thinking about the next five decades, not the next five years. They know the world will still need oil and gas. If Ecopetrol abandons that business, it weakens the company and eliminates jobs for skilled workers. They see that as self-defeating, not ideological.
Is the union actually allied with the right, as Petro suggests?
The union explicitly rejects that. They point to their history of striking against the previous right-wing government to defend Ecopetrol from privatization. They're saying Petro is mischaracterizing their position as political when it's actually about protecting workers and the company's core business.
What does the government actually want to accomplish with these board meetings?
They want to use this moment of high oil prices and strong results to make long-term investments that will stabilize the company when prices inevitably drop again. It's a reasonable goal, but the union thinks it's being pursued with the wrong person in charge.