De la Espriella launches ‘Marshall Plan’ to rebuild earthquake-hit Chocó

Colombia has begun what President Abelardo de la Espriella calls a “Marshall Plan” for Chocó, the department at the epicenter of the devastating earthquake on Aug. 10. The initiative was unveiled in Quibdó after the president met leading businesspeople at a donor-style summit.

“Llevo meses hablando del Plan Marshall para el Chocó. No es un esfuerzo menor, es un propósito tremendamente ambicioso que exige voluntad política, recursos y capacidad de ejecución para comenzar a cambiar el destino de este departamento,” De la Espriella said. He described the plan as a major effort requiring political will, funding and the ability to carry it out.

The five-part program combines private investment with road and port modernization, support for formal businesses, tax incentives and sustainable tourism. It also proposes restarting studies on an interoceanic canal linked to a railway corridor. The proposed route would connect a deep-water port on Chocó’s Pacific coast with the Caribbean Sea through Antioquia.

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I have been talking about the Marshall Plan for Chocó for months. This is no minor effort, but a tremendously ambitious goal that requires political will, resources and the ability to execute in order to begin changing the fate of this department.

The infrastructure package includes 1 trillion pesos, about $318 million, for roads and airports. De la Espriella said the money would come equally from tax-funded public works and direct private-sector contributions. The plan also includes 5 billion pesos, about $1.5 million, from the government, Bancolombia and Tecnoglass through Impulsa to provide seed capital to 1,000 entrepreneurs affected by the earthquake.

The tourism projects include a waterfront promenade in Quibdó and efforts to expand tourism in Nuquí and Bahía Solano on the Pacific coast. The earthquake killed 331 people, injured thousands and caused preliminary damage estimated at about $9.5 billion. Addressing the participating business leaders, the president urged them to invest, create jobs and produce in Chocó, promising physical and legal protection.

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Here is Chocó. Come in greater numbers, learn about its possibilities, invest, and we will give you full physical and legal protection. Produce, create jobs and make money here.