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The National Planning Department (DNP) said that it has suspended, if only temporarily, royalty payments to 124 municipalities in 24 departments for not meeting the deadlines to notify authorities of the advances and current state of projects funded with royalty money. This and other royalty related stories in our periodic summary.

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has celebrated the 31^st anniversary of the Colombian Petroleum Institute (ICP) its R&D center which it says has delivered proven benefits to the NOC worth US$4.17B.

The reversion of the Rubiales field was an achievement for unions, social movements, political leaders and rural residents who worked together to force Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) to take the field back, says the USO oil workers union.

Rubén Darío Lizarralde, president of the Colombian Chamber of Oil Goods and Services (Campetrol) warned that the Constitutional Court’s recent decisions amount to “a direct attack against the sector and against foreign investment and the productivity of the country”.

The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) published detailed crude oil production results for March and April and that allowed us to update our analysis of shut-in fields.

After a week in Mexico City and another week at the Global Petroleum Show in Calgary, Mexico’s ‘belle of the ball’ status is clear.

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) is now set to receive the Rubiales field at the end of the month, and has also established its workforce which will staff and operate the field.

Government and Farc negotiators are working in separate sessions until next Monday, June 20^th, before starting an intensive round that press reports are billing to be one of the last. Meanwhile President Juan Manuel Santos warned the Farc could resume urban warfare if talks fail.

The Finance Minister Mauricio Cárdenas said that the government does not expect to receive any income from oil industry profits in 2016, and instead will likely face CoP$800B (US$265.4M) in returned taxes for oil companies.

Senate President Luis Fernando Velasco accused the government of charging illegal taxes in its fuel price formula even after they were struck down by a Constitutional Court ruling and alleged citizens are essentially subsidizing Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC).