Colombia’s Council of State has ruled that a municipal public referendum involving Colombian subsoil exceeds the power of that entity, after Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) challenged a decision by a Casanare tribunal to accept a referendum from the Monterrey municipality.
The continued conflicts in the municipality of Acacias and Castilla La Nueva have led to blockades, riots with police and now Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has terminated 45 contracts associated with projects in the area.
Colombia’s roads have become ground zero for conflicts between the oil industry and local communities, as production rises and trucks increase, so do problems, accidents and rejection of the large tankers. Here are some of the stories hitting press over the last week.
Organizers booked the February 20th march for the water as a milestone for the anti-oil movement and turning of the tide towards stronger environmental regulation. The march occurred without incident in Casanare and Meta, but fell short of the loft expectations.
Over the last three years 1,445 oil engineers have graduated Colombian educational institutions, but of this number 750 have not been able to find work in the national industry says a recent study.
Casanare’s environmental management agency Corporinoquia is planning the prior consultation phase to declare a number of micro-basins as protected natural resources due to their role in the supply of water for local communities.
During a seminar with the La Esmeralda community in Acacías, Meta, the Labor Minister Rafael Pardo addressed issues surrounding social investment and environmental impact, but the hiring practices, especially those involving employment agencies generated the most discussion.
In Huila the issue of oil tankers on the roadways continues to draw the ire of local authorities, some of which have called on the national government to immediately suspend all oil tanker traffic in a meeting with national government officials.
The USO has finalized the collective bargaining schedule for this year after deciding to file a new list of terms and withdraw from its current collective bargaining agreement with Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC).
The mining and energy boom has brought economic benefits says Senator Jose Name, who also charges that the industry has destabilized the Colombian peso, wrecked local agriculture and carries grave social and environmental risks.
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