News and AnalysIs for

Concerns in the private sector are growing because of recent popular referendums against mining and oil projects in the country. Several municipalities have announced their intention to carry out popular consultations that could affect the development of the mining and oil sector.

Equión and Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) announced important achievements in CSR projects in the departments of Casanare, Putumayo and Meta; these will drastically improve the quality of lives of several areas. These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.

While some in the oil industry –and many ‘hard’ miners for that matter – may be offended by our view that there are commonalities, it is becoming hard to deny that the evolving social and political situation for both has common roots and is creating common legal precedents.

We have compiled a list of 18 municipalities that either have had anti-oil/mining referenda, are definitely planning to do so or are known to be working towards a referendum.

Now Part 3 of our ongoing series written by Leopoldo Olavarría and the team at Norton Rose Fulbright on the Agreement 2, the National Hydrocarbons Agency’s (ANH) rewrite of the rules for block assignment and contracting.

The National Federation of Palm Growers (Fedepalma) disagrees with Government’s decisions on the National Biofuels program. The federation referred to the consequences of these actions.

GasConcern in the electricity and natural gas distribution sector are growing because of lack of resources for national subsidies. Representatives of these industries spoke about this situation.

Those responsible for this crime legalize the fuel through fake companies, the guerrilla and mafia networks.

The Union gathered with Colombia’s three largest mining-energy unions, and will analyze strategies to improve union activities and conditions in the country. It also announced that it ‘achieved respect’ for the Collective Work Agreements in the new employment contracts at USO Casabe.

Security and Public OrderEven though the guerrilla was supposed to deliver 60% of their weapons, the United Nations confirmed that it only delivered 40% of them.