Colexico Alliance Returns to Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce

The regional business group that has been operating as the Colexico Alliance announced it will return to the historic Trinidad and Las Animas County Chamber of Commerce, a development reported by The Chronicle on Feb. 20, 2026. The Chronicle headline carrying that announcement appeared on the paper’s site under “Other News” and is indexed on the Ground News aggregator.

The organization’s own website frames the change against a long history, stating it was “Established in 1881 (2nd oldest Chamber in the State of Colorado).” Site copy also recounts last year’s reorganization: “In 2025 our members decided to become a 143 year old ‘Start-up’ and take a Regional approach to economic development and create the ‘Colexico Alliance’ and we then invited our historic economic partners from across Las Animas, Huerfano and Colfax Counties to join us.” That same site adds, “We will be building this site out to honor 144 years of of commitment to Trinidad & Las Animas County Colorado.” The three year-related phrases appear verbatim on the site and present an internal inconsistency that merits verification of the chamber’s historical timeline.

The organization describes its operational footprint as tri-county, serving Las Animas County (CO), Huerfano County (CO), and Colfax County (NM), and labels the area the “Colexico Territory.” The site claims the group is “Becoming the first ‘Cross State’ Organization of our kind in the US and the largest by service area… over 10,000 sq miles.” The tagline presented in the site navigation is “Think Regional, Act Local.” Those assertions are self-reported on the organization’s site and require external verification for the “first” and “over 10,000 sq miles” statements.

Practical contact and location details on the organization’s web content list a Trinidad office at 132 N Commercial St Suite C, Trinidad, CO 81082 (with Chronicle News), a phone number of +1 (719) 846-9285, and an email shown as director[@]colexicoalliance.org, with office hours listed as “By appointment.” The site also includes program headings such as “What We Do” and “Who Should Join,” and describes members ranging from “downtown retailers and rural ranchers to tech startups and community leaders.”

The materials captured in the Chronicle and Ground News items do not include a named, attributable quote from an executive director or board chair, no dated press release text announcing an effective date for the name change, and no documentation of legal filings or membership counts. Those gaps remain: the announcement as reported on Feb. 20, 2026 is grounded in the Chronicle headline and the organization’s self-descriptions, but verification is required for governance steps (board or membership approvals), legal name-change filings, and the numeric claims about age and service area.

The Chronicle page carrying the headline displays the paper’s copyright line, “Copyright © 2026 The Chronicle News, a CherryRoad Media Newspaper. All rights reserved.,” and the aggregation on Ground News placed the item alongside local headlines such as “Citizens push back against Trinidad’s utility rate increase” and “Army briefs locals on future of Pinion Canyon Maneuver Site.” Until the chamber or its leaders provide a full press release, named statements, and filing records, the reversion remains a self-reported organizational decision announced to local media on Feb. 20, 2026 and open to follow-up confirmation.