Originally from Santiago de Cuba, Orlando Limonta Juantorena is a Cuban-born entrepreneur based in Medellín, Colombia, where his sharp vision and a risky gamble have placed him as the largest importer and distributor of New World tobacco in the country. This has turned Colombia Cigars into the leading company in the Colombian market and an unmistakable benchmark of premium quality for enthusiasts, and Distrito Tabaquero, part of its retail division, into the largest cigar network in South America.
From a very young age, Orlando left Santiago for La Habana, where his contact with tobacco was more than frequent, especially as he developed professionally in the tourism sector.
After completing a Master’s degree in Foreign Trade, he made the leap to the import sector, spending several years working for the leading company in importing disposable personal care products for all of Cuba.
With this experience, Orlando emigrated to Colombia, where he ventured into business with a couple of restaurants while continuing to apply his knowledge to import Cuban products such as beer, dairy, and water.
It was in Colombia that his daughter was born; this would be the step that anchored him in the country.
Years later, his parents, Don Rodolfo and Doña Daisy, drawn by its culture and the world of Habanos, decided to found Habanos Point alongside Orlando. This would be the start of a dream that later turned into what Colombia Cigars is today, located in the El Poblado sector of Medellín. At that time, as its name indicated, it only sold products from Habanos S.A.
Nearly three decades later, in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, enchanted by the aromas and flavors of a 100% Dominican cigar, La Aurora—a gift from Don Rodolfo—and a phrase spoken by his father that he would never forget: “The world of cigars is more than Habanos.“
That was the moment he decided to open the doors to New World tobacco, ushering in a new era for premium cigars primarily from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Honduras.
Distrito Tabaquero
This was the beginning of the company Colombia Cigars SAS and the transformation of its first store under its new image: Distrito Tabaquero, serving as one of the most important facilitators of tobacco culture in the country and reviving a taste that had been lost for over 300 years among the pages of modern Colombian history.
Continuing with key milestones, since its very founding, Colombia Cigars became the first company to make an official import of cigars, and Distrito Tabaquero the first to sell them, in a market that, for the last 30 years, had been closely tied to the consumption of Cuban tobacco.
Orlando recalls a very tough beginning, facing criticism and uncertainty, but always remaining steadfast in his vision and gamble. “Many called us crazy, saying we weren’t going to sell and that these cigars couldn’t compete with Habanos,” he notes; but, looking at future results, that move at the end of 2021 was a total success.
“When we started with this, the Distrito Tabaquero Medellín store generated 85 percent of its sales from Habanos; today the situation has reversed, and New World tobacco accounts for 90 percent of sales. In 2025 alone, we imported around 953,000 dollars.”
After the introduction of La Aurora, driven by the influx of Dominican and American tourists in Colombia, Colombia Cigars continued to grow. At the end of 2023, it created two divisions: the import and distribution division, and the Distrito Tabaquero retail division, becoming the only company in South America capable of grouping in its portfolio the exclusive importation of global brands such as La Galera, Joya de Nicaragua, Oliva, AJ Fernández, Plasencia, Arturo Fuente, and recently, Infiel in the boutique segment.
Distrito Tabaquero stopped being just one store to become a national chain expanding into Colombia’s most important cities: Medellín, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, and Santa Marta, with a growth and development plan targeting 12 stores by 2030.
In 2023, Atlántica, a distributor of Cuban machine-made products, signed a contract with Colombia Cigars for the distribution of Cuban mini products in Colombia, making the company the sole importer and distributor of these world-renowned items.
“It hurt me to replace Habanos with New World cigars; misunderstandings with the distributor at that time made me shape my passion toward them. But I understood that behind most of the brands existing outside the island of Cuba, especially in Nicaragua, Cuban roots remain.”
According to Orlando, the strength of cigars originating outside Cuba lies in the quality of the product itself, especially in the ability to blend different tobaccos, construction, operational efficiency, and the logistics established by companies in Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and even Honduras, as well as advice provided to stores and distributors; in short: quality at an affordable price.
Future Outlook
Inspired by the trajectory of the great Cuban tobacco makers who left Pinar del Río to pursue their dreams in other latitudes, especially in Nicaragua, Orlando Limonta shares his desire to create the first paisa premium cigar from Antioquia under the name Aburrá, dedicated to the valley of the same name in Medellín where the company was created.
Featuring, in addition, Chief Nutibara as its emblem, accompanied by the Antioquian railway and carriel bag—a project for which work is already underway to find land for cultivation under the guidance of personnel from Nicaragua, heirs to the Cuban tradition.
Likewise, growth plans for Colombia Cigars contemplate organizing Colombia’s first cigar trade fair in 2027, featuring local producers showcasing their products. “We cannot be isolated or turn our backs on national producers; being the largest importer in the country, it is our duty to help them foster Colombian tobacco culture,” he affirms.
Currently, Distrito Tabaquero has five stores within Colombian territory; the pandemic slowed their pace, but the plan foresees launching 12 stores by 2030, starting with a pair during the second half of this 2026.
This expansion project knows no borders and aims to establish branches in the United States and Ecuador, for which an administrative structure is already being developed alongside the search for the ideal space to continue this mystique and essence of 1950s Cuban cigar lounges, featuring mostly wooden decor, the smell of leather, and traditional Cuban music. “We are not bars because we know there are plenty of those, but spaces to smoke are few.”
All of this without stopping adding brands to its import catalog, bringing a wider variety of aromas and flavors closer to Colombia. For Orlando, the cigar market has become elitist, and reversing that trend is part of his plans. “I dream of an everyday Colombian enjoying a fine cigar bought at a neighborhood corner store; that’s why we can’t leave local producers behind.” “I hope to see a growth of more cigar shops in Colombia; it’s a sign that the market is opening up.”
Orlando points out that as long as Colombia Cigars handles the importation and distribution of these brands, there will be no restrictions for any entrepreneur wishing to venture into the world of fine smokes through various business units. Colombia Cigars has created a structure offering credit and support to those starting out in the business. “We were once small, and we will never forget that,” he affirms.
With the resurgence of tobacco culture in Colombia, Colombia Cigars and Distrito Tabaquero have taken giant strides to reclaim 300 years of tobacco tradition—a source of pride for all of Latin America and a very special gift brought from Cuba alongside an entrepreneur who found love and passion for “fine smokes” in Colombia.
If it smells like sugar cane, tobacco, and pitch, it might be Cali; but if the aroma evolves into rum and premium cigars, a Distrito Tabaquero must be nearby.
Distrito Tabaquero is more than a word.
