Ecopetrol Removes Trading Analyst Amid Staff Changes

Ecopetrol removed José Enrique Name Correa from its trading subsidiary in the United States without providing an official explanation for the move. Name Correa, the son of Partido de la U politician José David Name, worked as a commercial support analyst for one year, five months, and 29 days after joining on 10 March 2025.

According to reporting by Semana, his position carried an annual compensation cost between USD 113,000 and USD 130,000, representing USD 9,400 to USD 10,800 monthly. His responsibilities included trading reconciliations, daily risk and position reports, and transaction validations, despite public questioning over his lack of previous hydrocarbons or trading experience.

The dismissal occurred hours after Ecopetrol unilaterally terminated Catalina Velásquez Gil, legal manager of hydrocarbons and daughter of former defense minister Iván Velásquez. Velásquez Gil received an estimated annual cost of $1,084 million pesos, including a monthly salary near 54 million pesos and board seats at Ecopetrol Costa Afuera Colombia, Ecopetrol USA, and Brava Energía, in which Ecopetrol purchased a 51% stake for about USD 1,200 million.

Ecopetrol, which is 88% state-owned, has enacted multiple staffing departures involving officials linked to the political sector of President Gustavo Petro without issuing public statements regarding the exact drivers behind the decisions.