As if caught in a tightening noose, the circumstances surrounding Ricardo Roa, president of Colombia’s state oil company Ecopetrol—the largest in the country — continue to grow more complicated. Workers at Company turn their backs on Ricardo Roa and call for his removal
After the National Electoral Council found him responsible for violating spending limits in Gustavo Petro’s presidential campaign, which he managed, the Attorney General’s Office brought charges against him over alleged irregularities in the purchase of a luxury apartment in northern Bogotá.
He is accused of having used his position as Ecopetrol’s president to benefit Juan Guillermo Mancera, from whom he bought the property, by awarding him a project from Hocol, a subsidiary of Ecopetrol. These two situations have amplified calls for Roa to step aside so he can focus on his legal defense and avoid causing reputational damage to the oil company.
Ecopetrol workers call for Ricardo Roa’s resignation
Despite this, the executive — appointed by President Gustavo Petro — has resisted leaving his post. But in recent hours, an unexpected development emerged: the company’s own workers, represented by the Union Sindical Obrera (USO), Ecopetrol’s main union, demanded his resignation.
The USO, like much of the country, believes that the allegations and investigations against Roa are worsening the company’s situation and creating risks that could even affect Ecopetrol’s operations and its ability to meet its goals and targets.
“In light of these facts, the Union Sindical Obrera (USO) calls on the company’s highest governing body [the board of directors] to remove the president of Ecopetrol from his position, in fulfillment of its fundamental duty to protect the interests of the most important company for Colombians,” the union said in a statement in the social platform X.
The union stressed that it recognizes Roa’s presumption of innocence. However, it also argued that the current situation demands total transparency and strict adherence to ethical principles, “allowing President Ricardo Roa to devote all his efforts to his defense before the competent authorities, within the framework of the ongoing criminal, disciplinary, and administrative investigations.”
Ecopetrol union acknowledges Roa’s achievements
The union also acknowledged Roa’s work as Ecopetrol’s president and the progress made under his leadership in strengthening company-union relations, as well as his political will, “which has made it possible to reach important agreements benefiting and improving the quality of life of the company’s workers and their families.”
Nevertheless, the USO warned that the oil industry’s environment presents major challenges for the company, and that the current moment requires significant efforts to ensure medium- and long-term sustainability.
“Ecopetrol must design a financial reengineering plan to secure the resources needed to strengthen its traditional hydrocarbons business line, carry out a high-potential exploration campaign to add new natural gas and oil reserves, apply the necessary technologies to increase recovery rates in mature fields, and work with the government to obtain environmental licenses for the development of its projects,” the union concluded.
The backing of Ecopetrol’s powerful union is vital for any company executive. With this request now on the table, it remains to be seen whether the board of directors will heed the call—although Roa’s closeness to President Petro suggests that every effort may be made to keep him in the position, at least until the current administration comes to an end.