Colombia VP Calls for Stronger Africa-Latin America Ties
Colombia and Ghana have agreed to establish a new maritime trade route connecting the ports of Cartagena and Tema, announced by Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez during the closing of the CELAC-Africa 2026 High-Level Forum on Wednesday. The agreement aims to revitalize logistical exchange and merchandise trade between the two nations, with a focus on attracting both public and private investment.
Márquez framed the initiative as a historical correction, asserting that centuries of colonialism deliberately isolated Latin America and Africa. “For a long time, colonialism isolated us, made us believe that we were far away and that it was not worth making the effort to relate,” she stated, according to reports from the forum. The new route, she argued, seeks to transform historical pathways of exploitation – those used for the transatlantic slave trade – into “routes of freedom” that promote dignity and improve the lives of people on both continents.
The agreement follows three days of discussions at the CELAC-Africa forum, held in Bogotá, where representatives from both continents convened to strengthen political, economic, and cultural cooperation. The forum’s agenda centered on four key areas: South-South cooperation, historical reparations and ethnic-racial justice, trade and investment, and the articulation of foreign policy. The viability of direct air connections, facilitated by international airlines, to complement the maritime route was too under study, according to earlier reports.
The Colombian government views the agreement not only as an economic opportunity but also as a step towards social redress for past injustices. Márquez emphasized the importance of reconnecting the two regions geographically, highlighting the barriers imposed during the colonial era.
The initiative comes as Vice President Márquez calls for stronger ties between Latin America and Africa to foster growth and challenge legacies of colonialism. Speaking at an event in Bogotá on Thursday, Márquez reiterated the need for unity within the Global South, according to Al Jazeera.
As of Friday, no specific timeline for the implementation of the maritime route has been publicly released, and details regarding logistical arrangements and investment commitments remain under discussion. The next steps involve detailed planning and coordination between the port authorities of Cartagena and Tema.