Colombia will open five new consulates serving Colombians in the U.S., including one in Charlotte. The move comes as North Carolina’s Latino population continues to rise.
Last year, community group Lideres Colombianos started a call to action to bring a consulate to Charlotte.
A petition on Change.org emphasized the importance of having a consulate to serve members of the Colombian community in North and South Carolina. Just over 46,000 Colombians live in the Carolinas, according to Census data.
In a video, Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Luis Gilberto Murillo said the new consulates reflect the needs of a country that has sent hundreds of thousands of immigrants to the U.S.
“This is a response to the needs of the Colombian diaspora, the extended Colombia, the Colombian population that lives abroad,” Murillo said.
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The consulate in Charlotte will fill a major gap in the Southeast as the population continues to grow, making it easier for Colombians to renew passports and register marriages locally.
The nearest consulate is currently three hours away in Atlanta. It serves seven states, including the Carolinas. This has caused a backlog, with only a limited number of volunteers working to fulfill appointments.
The Colombian ministry did not say when the consulate in Charlotte will open. New Colombian consulates are also slated for Phoenix, Dallas, Seattle and Denver.
