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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 USO has again railed against proposed changes to Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:ECP) health benefits, which it alleges will lower the quality of health professionals and put its workers at greater risk.

Community members from Íquira, Huila have called for the environmental license of Telpico to be revoked launching a number of accusations against the process. The local environmental management agency, CAM, is investigating and said that the local ordinance laws (POT) are appropriate for local leaders to control extractive projects.

The National Planning Department (DNP) sounded the alarms on 144 royalty funded projects which are in a “critical” state and need immediate intervention to avoid further problems, worth a total of CoP$1.2T (US$400M).

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) is set to receive the Cusiana field from Equion on July 4^th, and is in talks with the local community to identify social priorities which are aligned with the project.

Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) has signed an agreement with communities which affected its production in Chichimene, in the Acacías and Castilla la Nueva Municipalities, but reports show a willful criminal activity behind the protests, which could flare up again.

A pending wave of privatizations, and not just municipal utility ETB or Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC), is under way, warns the USO after joining another organization which is planning a string of protests to stop this alleged plot.

The National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) said it will work more closely with local leaders in identifying and preventing community conflicts with the hydrocarbons industry, as the second phase of its Hydrocarbons Territorial Strategy (ETH).

At least 90 cacao producers from Putumayo participated in a cacao ‘summit’ which took place in the department to debate the future of the industry, made possible with the support of Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC). This and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories in our periodic summary.