Colombia: Oil pipeline attack in Boyacá department November 8

Event

A bombing attack was carried out against the Caño Limón-Coveñas oil pipeline on Thursday, November 8, in a rural area of Boyacá department’s Cubará municipality, located near the border with Venezuela. No casualties were reported but the incident resulted in a fire in a forested area along with environmental contamination. A security perimeter has been established around the attack site while an investigation takes place.

This is the second such attack to be carried out within the past two weeks, and the 77th targeting the pipeline since the beginning of the year. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the ELN guerilla group (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) has a significant presence in the area.

Context

Limón-Coveñas is Colombia’s most important pipeline, with a daily transportation capacity of 210,000 barrels.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing militias, and local gangs, in addition to the ELN - some Western governments advise against travel to various parts of the country, including the Venezuelan border region.