Carlos Eduardo Campo Cuello
Bogotá, D.C., August 25, 2026 (@MinAgricultura). The Colombian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Indalecio Dangond Baquero, swore in Carlos Eduardo Campo Cuello as the new General Manager of the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) with a clear mission: to strengthen agricultural health, protect domestic production, elevate competitiveness, and open new market opportunities for Colombian producers.
Campo Cuello holds an Industrial Engineering degree and an MBA from the Universidad de Los Andes, as well as a Global Business Leadership MBA from Tulane University in the United States. Additionally, he graduated from the Chief Product Officer program at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he received the Fire Hydrant Award—the highest distinction for a capstone project in this type of executive program. He brings over 14 years of experience leading high-impact rural and agro-industrial development initiatives across Latin America. He previously served as the Secretary of Agriculture for the Department of Cesar (2016–2019), President of the Colombian Council of Secretaries of Agriculture, and Director of Programming and Management for the Territory Renewal Agency (2020–2022).
In the private sector, he chaired the Cesar Dairy Committee, served as Director of Partnerships and Projects for PANACA (the National Agricultural Culture Park), and founded the start-up Kankuaka. The Cesar Chamber of Commerce recognized Kankuaka as the most innovative company of the year—an honor Campo Cuello received alongside an Entrepreneur of the Year award. His career seamlessly integrates public administration, trade association leadership, and corporate innovation in service of the agricultural sector.
"The ICA must be an ally to the producer, not a barrier. We will work toward a more efficient, modernized entity that is closely connected to the rural sector, promptly responding to producers' needs and decisively supporting the growth of our agricultural exports, all while fulfilling our mandate as the national sanitary and phytosanitary authority," stated the new General Manager.
The objective is unequivocal: enhanced agricultural health, increased productivity, greater exports, and higher revenue for the rural sector. Under his leadership, the ICA will play a pivotal role in consolidating agricultural, food, and nutritional security, positioning Colombia—alongside its "Campo Milagro" (Miracle Countryside) initiative—as a true global breadbasket.