The petroleum workers called for Ricardo Roa’s head following formal influence-peddling charges filed by Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office.

One of Colombia’s principal petroleum worker’s unions, the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), has formally requested that Ecopetrol’s board of directors remove Ricardo Roa Barragán as president of the state-controlled oil company, amid ongoing investigations against him by the Attorney General’s Office. The union warned that it will call a nationwide strike if the request is not addressed.

The request was made in a letter dated March 24, sent after a meeting between union representatives and the company’s board. In the document, the USO stated that, “understanding the feelings of the Colombian people as reflected by the thousands of Ecopetrol workers, we immediately request that, within the framework of due diligence, the board of directors adopt the necessary measures to remove Dr. Ricardo Roa Barragán from his position as president of Ecopetrol.”

The union added that, if the request is not met, “this union will call for nationwide mobilization in defense of the most important asset of the Colombian people.”

On the same day, March 24, Ecopetrol’s board issued a public response, reported by outlets such as Caracol Radio, stating that it had reviewed requests from employees, the union and some minority shareholders.

In its statement, the board said it is “aware of its responsibilities within the framework of due diligence” and has been assessing the risks to the company stemming from reports related to Roa. However, it confirmed that Roa will remain in his position while the evaluation process continues.

The union’s request follows charges filed by the Attorney General’s Office on March 11 against Roa for alleged influence peddling. According to prosecutors, Roa is accused of favoring a third party in the allocation of a project in exchange for a reduction in the price of an apartment he purchased in 2023.

More details on the case can be found in the article “Colombia’s Top Prosecutor Charges Ecopetrol President in Alleged Influence-Peddling Case,” published by Finance Colombia.

At this stage, although the information has been publicly reported, judicial decisions remain under the authority of the Attorney General’s Office, which is leading the proceedings.

Roa’s legal situation is also linked to another investigation involving alleged irregularities in the financing of the Pacto Histórico presidential campaign in 2022, which he managed and which resulted in Gustavo Petro’s election as president.

In February, the Attorney General’s Office said investigators found indications that the campaign may have exceeded legal spending limits. A similar case had already been reviewed by Colombia’s elections authority, the National Electoral Council, which fined those responsible more than $5 billion Colombian pesos (over $1.4 million USD).

Photo by Ecopetrol.

Sale to Parex shifts company focus to midstream assets and LNG.

Frontera Energy Corporation (TSX: FEC) announced a net loss from continuing operations of $663 million USD for the fourth quarter of 2025. This figure includes a non-cash impairment of $603 million USD related to the divestment of the company’s Colombian exploration and production (E&P) portfolio and a $17 million USD impairment regarding its Guyana interest. The company has scheduled a special meeting of shareholders for April 30, 2026, to vote on the divestiture of these assets to Parex Resources Inc. (TSX: PXT).

The definitive agreement for the divestiture establishes a firm value of approximately $750 million USD. The transaction includes up to $525 million USD in equity consideration. Following the completion of the sale, Frontera Energy Corporation intends to distribute approximately $470 million USD to shareholders, which equates to approximately CAD $9.18 per share. This distribution includes a $25 million USD contingent payment.

The divestment marks a strategic shift for the Calgary-based company as it transitions into an infrastructure-focused business model. The new structure is anchored by interests in the Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales S.A. (ODL) pipeline and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional Puerto Bahía S.A. maritime terminal. For the full year of 2025, the infrastructure segment reported an adjusted EBITDA of $116.6 million USD and a distributable cash flow of $76.7 million USD.

“Frontera now enters its next phase as a more focused, cash-generative infrastructure company, well positioned to deliver durable returns.” — Gabriel de Alba, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Frontera Energy Corporation

A central component of this new strategy is the development of a potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification project in partnership with Ecopetrol S.A. (NYSE: EC, BVC: ECOPETROL). Puerto Bahía has secured a take-or-pay agreement with Ecopetrol S.A., subject to certain conditions, for the project. The initiative is planned in two phases, starting with an initial capacity of approximately 126 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd), with projections to reach at least 300 MMcfd by 2029.

In terms of operational metrics for 2025, Frontera reported an average production of 39,011 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed). The company recorded an operating EBITDA of $308 million USD for the year. Production costs averaged $9.23/boe, while energy costs were $5.49/boe and transportation costs reached $12.00/boe.

The year-end independent reserves assessment, conducted by DeGolyer and MacNaughton Corp, placed the company’s gross reserves at 94.4 million Boe for the 1P category and 133.8 million Boe for the 2P category. All of the company’s booked reserves as of December 31, 2025, are located within Colombia.

On the environmental and social front, the company reported that 70,162 tons of CO2 equivalent were absorbed through environmental compensation areas in 2025. Additionally, 35% of operational water was reused during the same period. The company also noted a total of $95.1 million USD in purchases from local goods and services suppliers.

Upon the anticipated closing of the arrangement in the second quarter of 2026, Frontera Energy will retain its midstream assets in Colombia and certain non-Colombian interests, including those in Guyana. The company expects to allocate $25 million USD from the sale proceeds to further fund its infrastructure business and strategic growth projects.

The charge adds to a separate investigation over alleged violations of campaign finance limits during President Gustavo Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign

Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación – FGN) charged the president of the country’s state-controlled oil and energy company Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC’, BVC: ECOPETROL), Ricardo Roa Barragán, with the alleged crime of influence peddling by a public official. The charge was formally presented on March 11 during a public hearing.

According to the prosecutors press release, Roa “ordered that a specific person be assigned to a gasification project in exchange for a reduction in the price of an apartment” located in northern Bogotá. The Attorney General’s Office said the alleged intervention was related to the executive’s interest in acquiring the property below market value.

During the hearing, a prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Directorate formally presented the charge. However, Roa did not accept the accusation.

The newspaper El Colombiano explained that “the filing of charges is a formal act within the criminal process through which the person under investigation is officially notified of their link to a judicial case and the facts attributed to them. However, this step does not imply a conviction or a final decision and maintains the presumption of innocence that protects the executive.”

After the judicial decision became public, Ecopetrol’s Board of Directors said Roa will remain in his position as president of the company. In a public statement, the company’s highest governing body said it respects “Ricardo Roa’s presumption of innocence and his right to due process.” It also said it will continue acting according to the company’s established protocols for evaluating this type of situation.

Roa pled innocent to the influence trafficking charges.

Context: political, legal, and corporate challenges

Ecopetrol is currently facing several political and economic challenges. These include judicial and disciplinary proceedings involving its president, as well as questions about the company’s institutional and financial stability.

For example, the company’s 2025 annual report sparked public debate after reporting the highest reserve replacement ratio in the last four years (121%). According to the document, “300 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) were added, guaranteeing an average reserve life of 7.8 years.”

The report also said, “net proven reserves reached 1.944 billion barrels of oil equivalent.” However, private firms such as the independent investment bank BTG Pactual questioned those figures due to a change in the methodology used to calculate them.

Another point of debate has been the presidency of the Board of Directors, currently headed by Ángela María Robledo Gómez, a psychologist and former member of Colombia’s House of Representatives for Bogotá. Robledo was a member of the Partido Alianza Verde between 2010 and 2018 and later ran as vice presidential candidate alongside Gustavo Petro in the 2018 elections.

Roa’s legal situation is also linked to another investigation related to alleged irregularities in the financing of the Pacto Histórico presidential campaign in 2022, which he managed and which resulted in Petro becoming president.

In February, the Attorney General’s Office said investigators had found evidence suggesting that the campaign exceeded the legal spending limits. A similar case had already been examined by Colombia’s elections regulator Consejo Nacional Electoral, which fined those responsible more than $5 billion Colombian pesos (over $1.4 million USD).

For his part, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has publicly defended Roa. During a public event broadcast by media outlets such as Blue Radio, the president said the accusations are politically motivated. “We did not exceed spending limits; I have reviewed that accounting up and down,” he said. He also argued that the opening of criminal proceedings could be interpreted as an attempt to politically target his government.

Headline photo: Colombian President Gustavo petro (left) with former campaign manager and current Ecopetrol CEO Ricardo Roa (photo courtesy Ecopetrol).