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Colombia’s new government has repealed 10 resolutions restricting natural resource exploration and extraction, accelerating President Abelardo De La Espriella’s push to revive mining investment and unlock the country’s largely untapped copper potential.
Mining Minister Maria Nohemi Arboleda announced the repeal by decree Thursday at a mining conference in Cartagena. The measures, established under the previous leftist administration, restricted activity in designated areas under tighter environmental and land-use policies.
“Mining districts were intended to bring order to land use and support mining regions,” Arboleda said, local newspaper La Razón reported. “However, they were used to replace mining, were poorly designed, and as a result discouraged investment and exploration, dealing a blow to small-scale mining and efforts to formalize the sector.”
The reversal is an early test of whether De La Espriella can translate his pro-investment platform into exploration spending and mine development. Colombia has substantial copper, gold, coal and nickel potential, but lengthy permitting, regulatory uncertainty and security risks have constrained investment and left much of the country underexplored.
Regulatory reset
De La Espriella, who took office last month after campaigning on a right-wing economic platform, has promised to roll back restrictions on oil and mining as part of a broader effort to stimulate economic growth.
His administration can make some changes by decree, including simplifying administrative procedures, shortening licensing timelines and streamlining community consultations. More ambitious reforms could prove harder where legislative approval is required.
“We are going to eliminate a large number of procedures, we are going to be agile because we are eager to see results,” Arboleda said.
The shift marks a sharp break from former president Gustavo Petro, whose government tightened environmental oversight under its green-energy agenda. His administration sought to reduce Colombia’s dependence on fossil fuels while directing the mining industry towards strategic minerals and stronger environmental protections.
Among those measures was Decree 044, adopted in January 2024, which allowed the Environment Ministry to establish temporary natural resource reserves in mining areas and suspend activities for up to 10 years to protect sensitive ecosystems such as páramos.
Restrictions also emerged at the regional level. Authorities in Antioquia, one of Colombia’s most important gold-producing regions, established a temporary renewable natural resources zone across six municipalities and suspended new mining permits for three years.
The measures added to industry concerns about Colombia’s tax burden, lengthy permitting and security problems in mineral-rich regions. The Fraser Institute’s 2025 survey of mining companies ranked Colombia 42nd of 68 jurisdictions overall and 57th for policy perception.
Copper opportunity
The regulatory reset could have its greatest impact on copper, where Colombia has substantial geological potential but little production.
The Colombian Mining Association estimates the industry could attract as much as $4 billion through 2030. The group sees investment opportunities across copper, gold, coal and nickel.
Colombia lies along the Andean geological belt that hosts some of the world’s largest copper deposits, yet its output is marginal compared with regional leaders Chile and Peru.
Atico Mining’s (OTCMKTS: ATCMF) El Roble, Colombia’s only significant producing copper mine, yielded 9.2 million lb. of copper, or about 4,200 tonnes, in 2025. By comparison, Chile produced about 5.5 million tonnes and Peru 2.7 million tonnes.
The development pipeline includes AngloGold Ashanti’s (JSE: ANG)(NYSE: AU)(ASX: AGG) Quebradona, Cordoba Minerals’ (TSXV: CDB) Alacrán, Libero Copper’s Mocoa and Royal Road Minerals’ (TSXV: RYR) Guintar-Aleman-Margaritas projects.
Colombia also launched tenders for 14 strategic copper areas in late 2025 under its 2024–2035 National Mining Development Plan. The government includes copper among 17 minerals designated as strategic.
Removing regulatory barriers, however, will not by itself turn those deposits into mines. Large copper developments can require billions of dollars and take 15 to 20 years to advance from discovery to production, putting a premium on predictable permitting and regulation.
“Colombia could become a meaningful copper producer, but it will not happen on potential alone,” Juan Ignacio Guzman, head of mineral consulting firm GEM, told MINING.COM. “It requires at least one, preferably two, large-scale mines reaching construction and steady-state.”
Security poses another hurdle. Illegal gold mining has expanded in parts of the country and is frequently linked to organized crime and narcotics trafficking, increasing costs, compliance requirements and risks for legitimate operators.
De La Espriella’s challenge now extends beyond dismantling his predecessor’s restrictions. Attracting the billions of dollars the industry says are available will require faster approvals alongside regulatory stability, community support and improved security.
