In an about face, the government released the draft texts of the three agreements reached thus far with the Farc in Havana, Cuba, in a move to silence critics of the peace process.
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.
A request from Colombia’s largest supplier of tubing for the oil industry TuboCaribe to place safeguards and tariffs on some imported tubes has other suppliers and importers calling foul.
The Interior Ministry has signed a series of agreements with Putumayo residents, who have agreed to lift blockades and stop protests that have dogged the region for more than two months. The agreement followed a tentative accord two weeks ago.
The Colombian Association of Engineers (ACIEM) has contracted a study that looks at the hidden costs that are dragging down the potential of not just the hydrocarbons and energy sector, but infrastructure and telecommunications as well.
President Juan Manuel Santos signed the contract to recover navigability on the Magdalena River, which promises to offer a new alternative transport route for hydrocarbons. The ambitious project will see work start in June 2015, and has a price tag of US$600M.