Tension at the Retail Distributors Congress: business leaders boo Minister Edwin Palma during the event's closing ceremony

The closing of the National Congress of Retail Fuel and Energy Distributors, which took place in Cartagena, ended with loud booing and shouts from the attending businessmen in the sector, who, faced with some statements by the official, not only called him a 'liar' but also asked him to leave the premises.

The official's speech was interrupted several times, and amidst loud boos and shouts from the attendees, he had to cut short his speech, get off the stage, and leave the premises.

The official's speech, which was closing the union meeting, was interrupted by shouts and complaints from several attendees, who expressed their dissatisfaction with the Government's policies towards the sector.

The incident occurred while Palma was reflecting on the need to “not normalize death, violence, or war,” citing a column by Professor Francisco Gutiérrez and a recent message from Pope Francis on business ethics. At that moment, some members of the audience began to express their displeasure with whistles and expressions of disapproval, forcing the minister to briefly pause his speech.

“I want to begin by urging everyone not to normalize death, sadness, or the physical disappearance of people, whoever they may be, whatever they may think,” he managed to say before the protests escalated. Some attendees questioned him from their tables: “What is he here to talk about?” “What does that have to do with us?” as the minister tried to speak again.

Amid the noise, Palma tried to continue his presentation, connecting his message to the situation in the energy sector and the challenges of formalizing and legalizing service stations. “We recently closed several stations that were supplying drug traffickers, and there were no shortages. That proves we're right,” he said, as the audience remained divided between applause and boos.

The minister also took the opportunity to address issues such as formalizing employment —recalling that nearly 30 percent of workers in the sector are outside the formal system—, energy transition projects with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the country, and the reduction of fuel subsidies.

In the final part of his speech, Palma insisted that the government has been “open to dialogue” with all sectors, even those that have been critical of energy policy. “ I don’t see anything wrong with them meeting with former presidents or other sectors. That’s democracy,” he said. However, he called for “more proposals and fewer attacks” in the debates on the new energy law.

The incident brought to a close a congress marked by tension between the government and fuel retailers, who have expressed concern about the tax burden, formal employment, and the competitiveness of the business in border regions.