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Even though the Collegiate Bodies of Administration and Decision (OCAD) approved important social development projects in the departments of Neiva and Casanare, corruption scandals led to the National Department of Planning (DNP) to closely monitor, and even suspend projects in Casanare and La Guajira. These and other stories in our periodic Royalties summary.

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) announced that 98% of its skilled and unskilled labor in Huila are locals, and that social investment programs in 53 municipalities of Colombia are developing in a successful way.These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.

This week, USO denounced that social leaders in Magdalena Medio and Puerto Boyacá have been allegedly threatened, and their rights violated by Mansarovar and Ecopetrol (NYSE: EC.)

The people of Cumaral said no to any oil activity in their territory. This decision has generated several opinions throughout Colombia.

Inhabitants of Cumaral (Meta) voted against the development of oil and gas projects in their territories and the results are quite similar to those of Camajarca. The community organized a popular referendum to stop Mansarovar’s projects in Cumaral.

The National Government plans to regulate popular referendums and prior consultations in Colombia. These actions have grown exponentially recently and have affected oil and mining projects.

In a press release, the NOC explained why environment and oil activities are compatible.

Popular referendums have grown exponentially in recent years in Colombia. Several municipalities plan to hold consultations to ban mining or oil activities in their territories.

After 10 days of strikes and blockades, and almost three days of negotiations, the communities of ‘El Centro’ and Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) signed the agreement that allows the reactivation of activities at La Cira-Infantas field.

Even though Equión and Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) showed their commitment to their areas of influence by developing social development programs, social protests against Pacific Rubiales (TSX: PEN) took place in Yopal, and protests to demand the modernization of Barrancabermeja’s Refinery are still going in that municipality. These and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.