On April 1st, the Senate of the Republic of Colombia approved Bill 026 of 2024 (Senate) – 007 of 2023, combined with Bill 044 of 2023, which recognizes electronic sports (e-sports) as a legitimate form of sports development in Colombia, incorporating them into the National Sports System, in accordance with Law 181 of 1995.
Érika Tatiana Sánchez Pinto, House Representative for Santander and author of the initiative, thanked Congress for its affirmative vote and recognized the efforts of the youth, leagues, and players who have fought for this recognition. “History was made today. Of more than a thousand bills presented each year, only 10% or fewer are approved. This is a great victory for e-sports,” she stated. This approval also represents a milestone for FEDECOLDE, which has been working on the project with the author for almost two years, motivating players to become professional athletes and promoting an institutional framework that fosters the growth of the e-sports ecosystem in the country.
This legal milestone will establish clear and appropriate regulations for the practice of e-sports in Colombia, fostering its development, inclusion, and professionalization as an integral component of
national sport.
For her part, the rapporteur in the Senate, Senator Norma Hurtado, welcomed the decision, highlighting that “today, Colombian sports are modernizing and updating after 26 years. It has been a difficult process, but one that has opened up different possibilities for Colombian athletes.” Hurtado explained that e-sports encompass individual or collective competitions through electronic systems, primarily video games such as League of Legends, DOTA 2, FIFA, and Counter-Strike.
The project also received unanimous political support from other legislators. Senator Ana Paola Agudelo, of the MIRA party, emphasized that “technology is the present, and we are adapting to these new media. This is a balanced project that provides new motivations for young people.”
With this approval, Colombia takes a momentous step toward modernizing sports, adapting to the new technological and cultural dynamics prevailing globally.
