Uber Ordered to Cease Operations in Colombia

HAVANA TIMES – Colombia’s competition authority SIC on Friday ordered ride-sharing company Uber to suspend operations immediately over allegations of unfair competition, the daily El Tiempo reported.

The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce demanded that Uber immediately stop access to its ride-sharing app and stop providing rides.

The measure, which followed an earlier court ruling, plunged more than 88,000 Uber drivers in the Latin American country into uncertainty.

The SIC charges that Uber violates market regulations, thereby generating a “significant” advantage.

Uber has existed in a grey area legally in Colombia: although it is used by millions of people, the service is technically not legal.

According to Uber’s own figures cited by El Tiempo, Colombians made more than 300 million trips via Uber in the last 6 years. The company has more than 2 million users in the 12 Colombian cities in which it operates.