Columbia ambush forces oil pull-out
On the sixth of July in the oil rich department of Arauca,
Colombia, 21
soldiers lost their lives in a combined operation of the FARC and
the ELN.
The soldiers were on their way to repair the oil pipeline which
had been
damaged in a bomb attack. As the helicopter landed guerrillas
opened fire
on the troops killing the pilot and 20 of the 24 soldiers.
Some days later when the troops returned to the zone 10 more of
them were killed in another joint operation of the two largest
guerrilla groups. The pipeline was eventually repaired and was in
operation for an hour and 13 minutes before it was blown up for
the 474th time since its construction in 1986.
It has all been a bit too much for the oil company OXY. On the
15th of July
they suspended production at 135 wells throughout the region of
Arauca.
Things haven't been going their way lately. The U'Wa tribe has
successfully
resisted all attempts by OXY to carry out oil exploration on
their land,
threatening a mass suicide if the company got their way.
BP is also feeling the effects of the guerrilla campaign. They
have reduced
production and have pleaded with the Colombian Government to
afford them adequate protection. The situation is such that the
Colombian military admitted that the flags which fly over the
towns of Arauca belong to the guerillas and not the Colombian
state which is experiencing increasing difficulty in operating
in the area despite its massive use of death squads. Yes, it's
tough at the top of the oil companies.
·
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