Oil production in the southern
Colombian province of Putumayo, which accounts for almost 4
percent of the country’s crude output, has been slowed by
protests over the closing of suspected money launderer and pyramid scheme DMG, Ecopetrol said on Tuesday.
Thousands of bilked investors have taken to the streets to
protest a series of pyramid investment schemes, which are not
related to the oil industry, that threaten millions of dollars
in losses.
People in Putumayo were heavily invested in the scams.
“We have problems with the Putumayo operation,” a spokesman
for state-controlled oil firm Ecopetrol said.
“We are producing partially. We have increased security at
the installations,” the spokesman added. “There is no state of
emergency. We are trying to reestablish full operations.”