Oscar Sampayo: “We have recorded at least 20 acts of human rights violations against voices that refuse fracking”

Photo: Oscar Sampayo.

Alerta Santanderes reports that “more than six pamphlets have circulated in recent months in the district of Barrancabermeja” threatening social leaders.

Environmental defender Oscar Sampayo says: “We have registered at least six collective threats by the AUC [paramilitary], in Barrancabermeja and Puerto Wilches in Santander; and in San Pablo and Cantagallo in Southern Bolivar. We have recorded at least 20 acts of human rights violations against voices that refuse fracking.”

The article highlights concern about the safety of Simona Vásquez who says that “her security scheme was withdrawn and she fears for her life.”

On May 9, Al Jazeera reported: “The [Magdalena Medio] area comprises the heart of Colombia’s petroleum industry, and the local town of Puerto Wilches has been selected for the country’s first fracking project, meeting strong resistance from locals and environmental groups. This opposition, in turn, has drawn threats from local armed groups.”

The article highlights: “Local environmental defenders and a representative of the JEP [Special Jurisdiction for Peace] said that they suspected a connection between the paramilitary groups intimidating them and the state-owned Ecopetrol, which is behind the fracking project. The company has been accused of having ties with the Gulf Clan [AGC] specifically.”

Photo: Carolina Agón.

On this PBI-Canada webinar in May 2022, Carolina Agón, a member of the CREDHOS human rights committee, stated: “This is not a secret. Ecopetrol has ties and is working hand in hand with the illegal armed groups.”

Carolina added: “We know that the companies are working together with the self-defence forces. We have the AGC and AUC working in our territory. I’ve received threats from both of these groups. I’m not sure which of these groups tried to kill me.”

Photo: Juan Camilo Delgado.

On that webinar, Juan Camilo Delgado of CREDHOS also commented: “It’s very concerning when we look at the historic relationship between the oil companies and organized illegal groups, specifically paramilitary structures, which has led to human rights violations and attacks against social leaders and environmental leaders from the municipality of Puerto Wilches.”

The Banking on Climate Chaos website reveals Toronto-based Scotiabank’s recent investments in Ecopetrol. Scotiabank provided USD $665 million to Ecopetrol in 2018, another $666.67 million in 2020, and $1.7 billion in 2021 for a total of $3.0 billion in financing.

Photo: The Scotiabank headquarters at 40 King Street West in Toronto.

Photo: Yuvelis Natalia Morales.

Yuvelis Natalia Morales of the Committee for the Defense of Water, Life and Territory (AGUAWIL) has commented: “When your [Canadian] companies and banks are investing in mining and energy megaprojects in other countries where human rights are being violated every day, you are not an environmentalist country, you are not a green country. I’m sorry to be so blunt. This is a reality that people don’t often want to say because when you open your mouth that could mean you are shot in the forehead.”

While the Colombian government seeks to ban fracking, Ecopetrol stated on September 13 that it had asked the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) to “temporarily suspend the Kale and Platero contracts for a term of 90 days.”

Sampayo says: “We hope that Ecopetrol will go much further and align and support the policy of the current government of Gustavo Petro in which the implementation of this technique is rejected and hopefully Ecopetrol will make the decision to deliver, rather than ask for a suspension of 90 days, deliver and say no to the implementation of the technique in Colombia.”

We continue to follow this situation.

Photo: On June 28, 2022, PBI-Canada met with a PBI-Colombia accompanied CREDHOS convened meeting of social leaders in Puerto Wilches and heard their determination to stop fracking and to defend life, water and territory.

Further reading: Exile after the defense of the Magdalena River (by Karen Parrado Beltran in Mutante, September 13, 2022).