The so-called March for Border Dignity will include Colombian and riff measure, believing it will cause mutual economic harm.

Bilateral trade began operating under the new tariff scheme on February 1 after the Ecuadorian government applied the so-called “security tax” to Colombian imports.

The measure was announced on January 21 by President Daniel Noboa amid accusations of a lack of cooperation from Colombia in actions against drug trafficking and illegal mining in the border region.

Colombia denied the accusations and, in response, imposed an equivalent tariff on Ecuadorian products and suspended electricity sales to Ecuador, which used that energy to offset its deficit and preserve water resources.

Later, Quito decided to raise the price of transporting Colombian crude oil through the Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline System (SOTE), where the tariff increased from three to 30 dollars per barrel.

Business associations from both countries warned that the simultaneous application of the tariffs would lead to job losses, price increases, and the risk of shortages in two highly integrated economies.

Despite calls to review the decision before its implementation, a closed-door meeting of the two nations’ foreign ministers in Panama concluded without concrete results.

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