LatinNews Daily - 13 April 2026

*Colombia’s minister for trade, industry, and tourism, Diana Morales, has announced that tariffs on imports from Ecuador will be increased from 30% to 100%. This follows a 9 April announcement from Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa that Ecuadorean tariffs on Colombia would be raised from 50% to 100% as of 1 May due to Colombia’s alleged failure to confront criminal groups in the border region. Morales said that “we’ve exhausted all diplomatic efforts and have kept dialogue channels open with Ecuador’s government to seek a resolution that benefits the two countries and businesspeople,” but complained that “we haven’t received a positive response and on the contrary President Noboa’s administration is announcing a toughening on the trade front”. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, who has rejected Noboa’s allegations of security negligence, announced on 10 April that his government’s ambassador to Ecuador, María Antonia Velasco, would be recalled for consultations, after Ecuador’s government announced the recall of its ambassador to Colombia, Arturo Félix Wong, two days earlier.