Connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific and Studying a New Interoceanic Canal Is Keeping Colombia’s New President Busy.
Photograph provided by the Colombian Presidency showing Abelardo de la Espriella (center) speaking during a meeting with business leaders in Quibdó, Colombia. The President of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, is reviving the idea of connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Chocó region by means of a canal or railway.
The President of Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, revived the idea of building an interoceanic connection through Chocó, as part of the so-called “Marshall Plan” to transform and rebuild this department. The project contemplates reactivating studies to determine the feasibility of a corridor connecting a deep-water port on the Pacific coast of Chocó with the Caribbean Sea, in the Urabá area, in the department of Antioquia. The initiative could take the form of an interoceanic canal or a rail corridor.
For now, the Colombian government has not defined the route, the financing mechanism, or a timeline for the project’s execution. The announcement was made by De la Espriella in Quibdó, the capital of Chocó, during a business summit in which the Colombian president brought together some of the country’s leading businessmen to present his reconstruction and development plan for the region. The Marshall Plan includes eight major projects and measures related to infrastructure, connectivity, energy, mining, tourism and job creation, with private sector participation.
A Connection Between Two Oceans.
One of the most far-reaching components of the plan is the possibility of establishing a connection between the Pacific and the Colombian Caribbean. The proposal seeks to link a deep-water port on the Pacific coast of Chocó with the Caribbean, near Urabá. The idea had already been raised during the administration of former President Gustavo Petro, who promoted studies for a rail corridor between the two coasts.
During Petro’s administration (2022-2026), a rail connection between the Chocó Pacific coast and Urabá was proposed as an alternative to a canal that would have greater environmental impacts. Now, the De la Espriella administration is once again considering both options: a canal or a rail corridor. Petro himself reacted to the proposal on social media and defended the possibility of moving forward with a modern train connecting both coasts.
The Project is Part of a Reconstruction Plan.
The announcement of the interoceanic connection comes amid a broader program for the recovery of Chocó, a department that was severely affected by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on August 10. De la Espriella had announced the Marshall Plan during a visit to the department on August 14, four days after the earthquake. The Government plans to finance these works through a combination of resources from the works for taxes mechanism and direct contributions from the private sector.
We have seen these ideas before in Nicaragua that failed, however President Daniel Ortega has revisited the concept over the years to raise more funds for the Government. There is also a project in Mexico to do the same. It is not truly a competition with the Panama Canal but rather an addition to the current transportation needs. The Panama Canal can only move so much product. Panama continually helps Mexico in their project. Panama will most likely assist Colombia with theirs.
