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Óscar Sánchez, president of USO Bucaramanga said that appointing Luis Guillermo Vélez Atehourtua as head of Ecopetrol’s health administration motivated them to start the year with a peaceful takeover Bucaramanga’s CAL (medical center).

The legal process to start the peace transition continues with an amnesty bill passing its first debate in congress, but the general public is skeptical on the agreement and its potential to bring peace.

Now a larger problem than attacks on pipelines or facilities, the illegal drug and mining trade and groups linked to the ELN guerrilla which steal crude using illegal valves has become one of Ecopetrol’s (NYSE:EC) primary concerns, and the activity also damages the ecosystem.

Oxy (NYSE:OXY) has restarted production at the Caño Limon field after halting the operation for more than a week following an escalation of attacks on the Coveñas/Caño Limon pipeline by the ELN guerrilla.

Colombia’s Constitutional Court approved the ‘Fast Track’ bill which allows the government to start implementing the peace agreements with the Farc, and now the bill must be debated and voted on in congress.

The government has said that December 1^st, is the ‘D’ day marking the start of the post-conflict transition, but the Farc said that nothing will move forward until a “Fast track” amnesty bill for its members passes congress.

Our count of security incidents near oil and gas infrastructure went up last month, about equally divided between those we ascribe to the guerrilla and those initiated to the Armed Forces.

Colombia’s Senate and Chamber of Representatives have approved the revised peace agreement between the government and the Farc. The main opposition to the agreement, the Centro Democratico, abstained from the vote, and government officials urge a quick implementation of the accord.

Ecopetrol (NYSE) said that November has brought an “onslaught” of attacks and illegal valves affecting the Transandino and Coveñas/Caño Limon pipeline, part of an increased pace of incidents over the last two months.

As of this writing on Thursday, November 24 Farc and government representatives were set to sign the revised peace agreement in Bogotá, and submit the document to congress for approval. The ‘no’ opposition is demanding another referendum on the new agreement.