The Colombian government announced on Wednesday that it will reinforce security in areas of oil exploration and mining.
Minister of Mining and Energy Mauricio Cardenas said that Colombia’s security forces have designed special strategies to combat violence and disorder in areas where mining and energy development are present, according to newspaper El Espectador.
“It is a priority to ensure these conditions of safety; it’s fundamental for the operation of this sector,” the minister declared.
One problem facing the industry is attacks on electrical towers. Cardenas acknowledge that the situation has improved since September saying, “the month of October was more relaxed.”
Unofficial reports indicate that in September of last year, 22 towers were blown up. Commenting on these attacks the minister said, “the FARC is doing the damage and they leave running, that shows a certain desperation.”
The oil-rich departments of Caqueta and Putumayo are regions that require the most attention as they largely contribute to the country’s overall production of 940,000 barrels of oil per day.
Colombia’s oil regions have been plagued by armed groups who seek to claim those lands through violence in order to sell them to large oil companies.