The attack on an oil pipeline in eastern Colombia is attributed to the ELN

Colombian Army sources assured local media that the attack was carried out by the National Liberation Army.

A new attack with explosives was recorded on Monday afternoon against the Cano Limon Covenas pipelinein the municipality of Saravena in the department of Arauca, in eastern Colombia.

Sources from the Colombian Army, quoted by the local newspaper El Tiempo, confirmed that the attack occurred around 2:40 in the afternoon. In addition, they presume that the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) would be responsible for the fact. However, no authority has officially confirmed the incident and the guerrilla group has not claimed it either.

Through photos and videos that went viral on social networks, it is observed that the explosion of the pipeline, which is managed by the company Cenit – a subsidiary of the state oil company Ecopetrol – left a large cloud of smoke on the site. According to unofficial accounts, the event did not cause fatalities but it did cause environmental damage.

Zenith reported local media that activated an emergency and contingency plan to address the situation. Local risk authorities and Army troops participate in security work.

The company also did a call to the community to move away from the affected area until the evaluation, repair, cleaning and waste collection tasks are completed.

It is not the first time this year that this pipeline has suffered attacks of this type. According to the local press, this It would be the fifth attack with explosives that is registered in that region so far in 2023. The previous events are also attributed to the ELN.

Peace process and ceasefire

The ELN and the Government of Colombia are carrying out a dialogue process since the end of 2022 that seeks to put an end to the decades-long armed conflict suffered by the South American country and thus achieve the so-called “total peace” that has been the banner of the president, Gustavo Petro.

Since then they have completed two rounds of negotiations, one in Venezuela and another in Mexico, which recently concluded. Besides, the next date for the third phase of talks is expected which would be held in Havana, Cuba, and which has among the main issues to be discussed, the bilateral ceasefire, the recognition of the political nature of the ELN and the end of the armed conflict.

Regarding this, on March 25, Antonio Garcia, the first commander of the ELN, warned that “there is still no agreement on a ceasefire between the ELN and the Colombian government,” for which reason the guerrilla group “can carry out military actions as well as the Police and the Government Armed Forces”.

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