COYUNTURA DEL CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 EN PAÍSES MEDIANOS PRODUCTORES DE PETRÓLEO ¿QUÉ HACER EN EL CASO DE COLOMBIA?

Abstract

This paper proposes as a principal objective shows that the situation of oil prices in the initial four months of 2020 in Colombia and in general in medium oil producing countries implies the opportunity to rethink the production structure and the energy matrix too. The causes of this drop in oil prices are presented and discussed, such as world demand, pressured in the months of March and April by the COVID-19 situation, the self-sufficiency of the United States and the energy transition in China. Some statistical data are then presented to reinforce the opportunity argument represented by the drop in prices of both fossil and alternative energy. At the same time, the environmental implications of exploiting unconventional oil reserves are questioned for the need of exploitation with non-conventional techniques such as fracking. In the end, a return to development banks is proposed to promote both economic diversification and the energy transition.