Two Dead, Several Held Hostage In Colombia Amid Protest Against Oil Company

The violence erupted in a rural area of the San Vicente del Caguan municipality where an Emerald Energy oil field was attacked and set on fire by the protesters.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro

Source : AFP

At least one police officer and a civilian were killed after violent protests erupted against the Chinese-state-owned company subsidiary, Emerald Energy in Colombia’s Caqueta province on Thursday.

Additionally, around 79 officers and nine oilfield workers were also taken hostage by rural communities, reported news agency Reuters.

In a statement, the human rights ombudsman Carlos Camargo stated, "It's lamentable that, amid these protests, a policeman and civilian were killed, while several policemen were detained and others were injured."

According to the Colombian police, violence erupted in a rural area of the San Vicente del Caguan municipality where an Emerald Energy oil field was attacked and set on fire by the protesters.

Police sources reported that the officer and civilian slain during the protests died from gunshot wounds and that Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who oppose a 2016 peace pact, are present in the area and may be responsible for the violence.

Rural and indigenous groups had blocked the oil field's entrance in order to demand that the company, a subsidiary of China's state-owned Sinochem, help fix roads in the region.

Such protests are not rare in Colombia as communities have pushed for companies to build infrastructure like roads and schools. 

Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to Twitter and said that he has ordered a joint commission from the country’s defence and interior ministries as well as the military to be dispatched to the region to put an end to the violence. 

Tenemos un movimiento popular que por su exclusión y por el influjo de grupos que quieren destruir este gobierno y sumir a Colombia en la guerra, ha terminado asesinando un joven policía campesino, y propiciado la destrucción del primer gobierno progresista de este siglo

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 3, 2023

Petro also seemingly accused rebel groups like the FARC of wanting to destroy the government and plunge Colombia into war.

Production was suspended late last month when the demonstrators started blocking the route between Puerto Gaitán and Rubiales in the hydrocarbon-rich Meta province.