Minister Inés Manzano indicated that there are offers from private Colombian companies for the purchase of energy.

The meeting between the acting Minister of Energy of Ecuador, Inés Manzano, and the Minister of Colombia, Andrés Camacho, did not have a desired outcome for Ecuadorian interests.

Although it was announced on Monday night that the energy exchange with Ecuador had been ratified “as long as conditions improve.”

In an interview with Noticias Caracol , Manzano indicated that he had set two objectives for the meeting: the first corresponded to the sale of energy by Colombia since there was no ban in force and the second was for the private company to provide energy through contracts.

"Unfortunately, the minister said that although there is full availability and political will on the part of the president of Colombia, they cannot sell to the 18 million Ecuadorians who need energy, so we are looking at the private sector," he added.

The Ecuadorian official added that she told Camacho that since October 18 they have had the draft of Ecuador's regulation to enable purchases from private companies in Colombia, however, they have not expedited the process. Ecuador did so in five days.

He revealed that the regulation through the Andean Community allows the sale of energy companies and that Colombia and Ecuador have been strategic partners in energy and that the infrastructure exists and that there is no prohibition on the signing of such contracts.

“We believe that with the statement by the President of Colombia telling the entire world that we must help countries that have this water deficit, including Ecuador, so we take it as good will and there is no ideological issue involved... It really seems to me that if the minister in charge says that even though his reservoirs are already full he does not want to or cannot sell us energy, then we are going to go with the private issue,” he said.

For Manzano, this is a measure to protect the reservoirs from the drought that is underway in Colombia and he confessed that he expected another resolution in the meeting with Camacho due to the critical situation in Ecuador.

Ecuador is currently facing power outages of between ten and fourteen hours a day.

Regarding the offers they have received, Manzano indicated that Imasd, as well as Citizens of China and the interest of the Medellín Electric Company, the Government of Antioquia, Termovalle and Termocali would also be within the possibilities.