Fine Colombia Rum Drunk by Chinese Set to Have Bogota Ban Lifted

A prize-winning Colombian rum sold from Shanghai to London will finally become available in its home country under a proposal to overhaul a system of local liquor monopolies that fund regional governments.

Dictador Rum, produced in Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, cannot legally be retailed in 98 percent of the country, while imported liquors such as Diageo Plc’s Zacapa rum and Pernod Ricard SA’s Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky are available everywhere. The government’s National Development Plan, presented to Congress Feb. 6, seeks to put local spirits and imports on a more equal footing.