Three contractors who have been working on the Caño Limon oil pipeline were kidnapped by armed guerrillas on Thursday. The pipeline has been attacked four times already in October alone.
Topographer Jaime Baron, Carlos Rivera, and driver Pablo Leon were taken from their car while driving in the Arauquita municipality in the state of Arauca, on the Venezuelan border.
Local authorities suspect Colombia’s second largest rebel group, The National Liberation Army (ELN), as responsible for the kidnappings, and security has been amplified in the area in an effort to secure the safety of other workers and investigate the kidnapping.
This pipeline and area has been plagued by problems and difficulties for well over a month; however, the situation has escalated in October.
MORE: Northeast Colombia pipeline attacked for 4th time this month
While no guerrilla group has come forward to claim responsibility for these attacks and local police initially suspected the rebel group, FARC, for the attacks, authorities have turned their sights on the ELN, who are believed to be responsible for the bulk of the attacks against the pipeline.
As of now there is no evidence linking the FARC to these attacks, and there are still only primarily suspicions connecting the ELN as well.
Arauquita, Arauca
Sources
- Secuestran a tres contratistas del oleoducto Caño Limón Coveñas (El Espectador)