Individual Owners
There are few media owners in Colombia. The most powerful media belong to traditional business groups which have controlled the sector for decades. However the presence of new owners is also noteworthy. Thanks to digital media, they have entered the scene and are important for political debate in the country.
Most of the media organizations belong to Carlos Ardila Lülle. According to Forbes, he is Colombia’s third most wealthy entrepreneurs and owns almost 60% of Colombian media. Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, owner of the Grupo Aval banking group and the richest person in Colombia, and Alejandro Galvis Ramirez, son of an important political leader between them control 16-26%. A further 15% is controlled by a small number of families, individuals, and businesses: the Char family; the Suarez family (El Periodico), Hernández & Gómez (El Colombiano S.A.); María Elvira Domínguez Lloreda (El País); the Santo Domingo Family through the Valorem S.A. holding; and Felipe López Caballero, founder of Revista Semana and a member of the Colombian political elite.
The remaining 5% is shared by María Elvira Bonilla Otoya, from “Las 2 Orillas”; Luis Adolfo Caro (Minuto 30); Tobías Carrero Nácar and Alberto Federico Ravell Arreaza, from Cable Noticias; and Juanita León García of “La Silla Vacia”.
Click on the images below for the individual profiles: