News and AnalysIs for

A number of villages in Yopal have rejected Parex Resources (TSX:PXT) Crytpo-1 project on grounds it would affect the water supply, while the company says the community will not hear their side of the story and assures the water would be safe.

The Minister of Environment (MinAmbiente) Gabriel Vallejo has signed off on a decree that authorizes an expedited licensing process as promised by President Juan Manuel Santos, but which has stoked push-back from environmentalists.

The National Environmental Licensing Agency (ANLA) has rejected 48% of the licenses presented to it for approval, and 118 projects are on standby due to the approval process. The majority are related to the oil industry.

A one-sided report in a national newspaper looks at another area where opposition to mining and hydrocarbons activities is increasing, Bogotá’s own Sumapaz.

Articles on fracking and unconventional oil and gas technologies in the Colombian press increased for the fourth week in a row. But this past week, the balance was positive.

President Juan Manuel Santos announced changes to the process of applying for environmental licenses, slashing the time frame to five months, and critics have come out against the modification, arguing that it will weaken environmental protection measures and put the ecosystem at risk.

The National Authority of Environmental Licenses (ANLA) has named a new director, Fernando Iregui Mejía, a lawyer with experience in the public sector and environmental law.

The Minister of Environment Gabriel Vallejo gave one of his longest interviews yet, defended the government’s plan to allow fracking, and countered critics that questioned his environmental credentials in the ministerial role.

President Juan Manuel Santos has announced a series of changes to the approval process for environmental licenses that he says will cut the wait time down to five months but still ensure that the environment is protected.

Pacific Rubiales (TSX:PRE) has logged a number of achievements in environmental matters with a sustainability certification, a campaign to use production waters for local irrigation; while local press highlights the role of the oil industry in reforestation. In Yopal however, problems surround a damaged pipeline.