Colombia: Another pipeline bombing in Nariño April 21 /update 1

Event

The Trasandino oil pipeline, located in the southwestern department of Nariño, was bombed once again on Saturday, April 21, the seventh such bombing in the department since the beginning of the year. The April 21 incident, which occurred in the municipality of Tumaco (Guayacana area), resulted in an oil spill and the suspension of operations along the line. The last bombing, which occurred on April 12, was attributed to the ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) guerilla group.

Context

Various armed groups are active in Nariño department, including dissident members of the now-demobilized FARC guerrilla group (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and other organized crime groups (BACRIM) in addition to the ELN. At least three attacks targeting electricity infrastructure have also taken place in Nariño in the past month, which left hundreds of thousands of people without power.

The area is a major cocaine growing and transit point, located along the Pacific Ocean and Ecuadorian border. According to the UN, there are more than 23,000 hectares (57,000 acres) of coca fields in Tumaco alone, believed to be responsible for 16 percent of all of Colombia’s coca cultivation.

The ELN and the Colombian government are currently involved in peace talks. However, the attack came on the same day that Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno announced that his country would suspend its involvement as the guarantor country for the talks, saying Ecuador cannot remain as a guarantor while the ELN continues to conduct “terrorist” attacks. ELN representatives have denied being involved in recent incidents. It is unclear at this stage how Moreno’s decision will affect the peace process.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including drug cartels, right-wing militias, local gangs, the ELN, and ex-FARC dissidents - some Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country, including parts of Córdoba.