Colombia eyes Bitcoin mining hubs on its Caribbean coast — powered by surplus renewables and co-owned by Indigenous communities.

President Gustavo Petro announced Tuesday that Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Riohacha could become bitcoin mining centres fuelled by Colombia's idle clean electricity — a direct response to data showing Paraguay has climbed to 4.3% of global hashrate on the back of cheap hydroelectric power from the Itaipu Dam. Colombia generates roughly 75% of its electricity from renewables, per a 2024 World Bank report, yet its Caribbean coast's wind and solar capacity remains largely untapped commercially.

Petro's proposal goes beyond infrastructure: he floated co-ownership for the Wayúu, Colombia's largest Indigenous group, framing the plan as a development catalyst for the region rather than a pure extraction play. The political framing is notable — it positions mining as a social equity mechanism, not just an energy arbitrage trade.

The timing is opportune. U.S. publicly listed miners have…