The first “Milagro Week” under President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government is scheduled for Nov. 16 in New York. Colombia’s Vice President Jose Manuel Restrepo and Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Mauricio Gomez Amin will present a portfolio of 176 projects to international investors, with the aim of attracting capital and building partnerships for initiatives across the country. The government has identified 37 of those projects as priorities.
According to the official account of Restrepo’s recent agenda in New York, nearly 300 investors, businesspeople and representatives of international funds learned about business opportunities in Colombia.
The event is part of the government’s “Mision Crecer,” or “Growth Mission,” a strategy aimed at increasing investment and productivity and restoring the economy’s capacity to grow, with an official target of 6% GDP growth. Presenting projects in New York is part of that effort, connecting potential investors with initiatives that the government says can generate construction, businesses and jobs.
For now, the information released makes it possible to describe the portfolio and its sectors, but not to provide a complete profile of all 176 projects. The government has also not published an individual list of the 37 priority projects, including their names, locations, costs, development stage or financing needs.
Those details will be important for investors assessing the proposals. Without them, it is not possible to evaluate each project’s viability or determine which ones are ready for negotiations. The November event will therefore need to provide more information for the projects to be assessed individually by potential investors.
The projects Colombia wants to put in the spotlight
According to government announcements, the 37 priority projects fall into five areas: infrastructure, energy, critical minerals, tourism and technology. There is no public information showing how many projects belong to each sector or identifying them by name. What is known is the portfolio’s general direction.
The government says the portfolio will include public, private and public-private partnership initiatives. Depending on each project’s structure and financing needs, these models could involve investment funds, companies and multilateral institutions.
Infrastructure is a priority because physical and digital connectivity affects productivity. Roads, networks, ports, airports and logistics infrastructure can reduce the time and cost of moving people and goods while connecting regions to domestic and international markets.
These projects often require long-term investment and complex financing structures, which is one reason the government wants to present them to international funds and companies. During his September visit, Vice President Restrepo discussed infrastructure and connectivity opportunities with J.P. Morgan.
Energy is another priority because industrial and economic activity depends on reliable supply and sufficient capacity. Before the U.N. General Assembly, Restrepo pointed to opportunities in wind, solar, hydroelectric and thermal energy and said Colombia’s potential must be converted into projects.
The energy transition and reliable supply are relevant to companies, households and investors. Individual proposals will therefore need to specify their technology, location, permits, costs and timelines. Those details have not yet been released for the 37 priority projects.
The inclusion of critical minerals is intended to position Colombia in supply chains linked to new technologies and energy sources. At Concordia, Restrepo took part in a discussion about the role countries in the Americas could play in those supply chains. He said Colombia is “at the center of the conversation” on artificial intelligence, new energy and critical minerals.
The government’s aim is to attract capital and production partnerships based on the country’s resources. Developing those opportunities, however, will require defined projects, clear rules and engagement with communities where projects would be developed.
Tourism and technology round out the priority sectors. Tourism can support regional economies and create opportunities in lodging, transportation and services. In technology, the government’s agenda includes training for future jobs, artificial intelligence and modernization of the state.
The government presents both sectors as ways to increase productivity and employment, although it has not yet identified the specific projects it will bring to the event.
‘Mision Crecer’ and its roadmap
Milagro Week is an international showcase within a broader interagency strategy. In September, Colombia’s Vice President Jose Manuel Restrepo presented “Mision Crecer” to nearly 40 senior executives convened by the Council of the Americas.
According to ProColombia, the plan has four components: incentives and legal certainty for investment; a project bank of strategic initiatives; removing rules, procedures and other obstacles that hold back productive activity; and mechanisms to direct savings toward investment.
The mission brings together the government, private sector, academia, the international community and the public.
The first component aims to address a central concern for investors: what the rules are, how long they will remain in place and how they will be applied. Restrepo has said Colombia wants to strengthen legal certainty and build confidence. Minister Gomez Amin has also emphasized physical and legal security.
For those assurances to be reflected in investment decisions, they will need to be supported by stable rules, transparent processes and clear commitments.
The second component, the “Patria Milagro Project Bank,” would link investment policy to international presentations. The goal is to have structured, prioritized initiatives that funds and companies can assess for financing or development.
Each proposal should identify its sponsor, the resources it needs, the risks it faces, the partners it is seeking and the benefits it expects to deliver. Investors assess more than a sector’s potential; they also consider a project’s maturity, revenue prospects, risk allocation and the ability of the institutions involved to execute it.
The information released so far does not allow for that kind of project-by-project assessment.
The third component calls for simplifying the state and reviewing procedures that delay investment. The government says it wants to reduce administrative barriers while preserving technical standards and community rights.
In an interview with El Heraldo, Restrepo said the administration wants to speed up processes, modernize the state and remove bureaucratic obstacles. The strategy will need to specify which procedures would change, which agencies would be responsible and how simplification would be implemented.
The fourth component aims to direct domestic savings toward productive projects, businesses and infrastructure. The strategy therefore does not depend solely on foreign capital; it also envisions Colombian resources partnering with international investors.
Restrepo has invited Colombian businesspeople and investors to take part in “Milagro Week” and connect local initiatives with global partners. The Vice Presidency describes the event as an opportunity to bring projects to funds and companies capable of financing or developing them, although registration and selection procedures have not yet been announced.
Restrepo has summed up the strategy’s economic purpose with the phrase, “There is no Miracle Homeland without a miracle economy.”
Gomez Amin has said that Milagro Weeks mean “foreign investment coming to Colombia” and linked that investment to new opportunities and jobs. Both officials have presented investment as a means of expanding economic activity, rather than as an automatic result of holding meetings.
To measure progress, it will be necessary to know which projects advance, how much capital is committed and what benefits are expected in the regions.
An international platform and a test of execution
Restrepo’s September visit to New York served as an initial opportunity to present the investment agenda. The vice president took part in the U.N. General Assembly, the Concordia Annual Summit and meetings with businesspeople, banks and multilateral organizations.
According to the government, nearly 300 representatives from the business and finance communities learned about opportunities in Colombia. That figure reflects the reach of the official agenda, but it does not mean that agreements have been signed or capital invested.
Milagro Week is intended to follow up on those contacts and advance financing discussions.
The meetings covered opportunities in infrastructure, connectivity, energy and critical minerals, as well as artificial intelligence, workforce training and government modernization.
At Concordia, participants discussed Colombia’s role in regional mineral supply chains. Energy was discussed in meetings with Enel, the company in Colombia that generates and distributes electricity; infrastructure with J.P. Morgan; and talent and technology in sessions involving the Inter-American Development Bank and Microsoft.
The agenda allows the government to present a portfolio that combines construction and energy with technological capabilities, although those meetings have been described as discussions rather than completed contracts.
Participation in Concordia helped place Colombia’s priorities in an international dialogue with business leaders and government representatives. In an interview with Caracol Radio from the summit, Restrepo defended Colombia’s presence at events where global issues are discussed and said the country should be a “protagonist” in finding solutions.
Promoting critical minerals and new energy connected Colombian resources with broader supply chains. The value of that exposure will depend on whether it leads to specific projects and business relationships.
The U.N. General Assembly provided another form of international visibility. Restrepo delivered President Abelardo de la Espriella’s speech and invited international investors to consider Colombia’s geographic and productive advantages, including its access to two oceans, energy resources, biodiversity and talent.
The delegation combined that presentation with business and diplomatic meetings. In November, the government will seek to translate that broader message into investment opportunities that can be evaluated and potentially financed.
What will be at stake in November
“Milagro Week” is intended to connect projects with potential sources of capital, but its outcome will depend on more than the number of meetings held. The quality of the project information, the ability to answer due diligence questions and the clarity of financing structures, permits, risks and timelines will also be important.
For regional projects, it will be important to explain the roles of local authorities, businesses and communities and the benefits expected in those areas. Those details can help investors assess whether a project is sufficiently developed to move forward.
The government wants September’s contacts to lead to agreements, financial structuring and new investments. Restrepo has described Milagro Week as a place to bring initiatives to “those with the ability to invest.” Gomez Amin has emphasized the expected link between capital, jobs and opportunities. Mision Crecer also envisions a role for domestic capital.
Without an individual list of the 37 projects, it is not yet possible to assess which ones address specific economic priorities or how much funding each requires. What is confirmed is the selection of five sectors and the intention to present the portfolio in New York.
Publishing information about each project’s scope, stage, location and financing needs would give Colombian and international investors a clearer basis for evaluating the opportunities and would make it easier to track their progress afterward.
Concordia and the U.N. General Assembly provided opportunities for visibility and relationship-building, while “Mision Crecer” sets out the tools the government hopes to use for follow-up. In November, the focus will shift to whether those conversations lead to projects that investors can evaluate, capital commitments and partnerships that generate economic activity in Colombia.
