Protesters in Colombia clash with oil company and take hostages

A civilian and police officer have died in violent demonstrations calling for Emerald Power to put money into rural communities.

Colombia’s human rights ombudsman meets with police and demonstrators in San Vicente del Caguan, Colombia, on March 2 [Colombian Ombudsman Office/Reuters]

Caracas, Venezuela – Colombia’s Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez and the commander of its armed forces, Helder Giraldo, have landed in Caqueta province to hunt the discharge of dozens of law enforcement officials and oilfield employees taken hostage throughout lethal protests.

At the very least 79 law enforcement officials and 9 oilfield employees have been held since Thursday, as protesters demand that the oil firm Emerald Power put money into surrounding rural communities.

An officer and civilian died in confrontations between riot police and protesters, as demonstrators took management of the oil firm’s places of work. Police sources point out that the civilian was shot to dying, whereas the officer suffered a stab wound.

“The murder of Subintendant Ricardo Arley Monroy, who was mercilessly killed when he was defenceless within the energy of his captors, deserves common repudiation,” Velasquez tweeted late on Thursday, referring to the police officer killed. “Nothing, nothing justifies this act.”

Different cupboard ministers are anticipated to affix Velasquez and Giraldo on Friday in San Vicente del Caguan, a city in southern Colombia the place a lot of the violence is centred. They embody Minister of the Inside Alfonso Prada and Minister of Transportation Guillermo Reyes.

Colombian Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez has travelled to San Vicente del Caguan to deal with demonstrations by rural residents [File: Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

On Friday, the workplace of Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, introduced that six oilfield employees remained within the protesters’ custody, down from the 9 reported earlier within the week. There was no replace on the variety of law enforcement officials held, nonetheless.

“It’s vital that farmers free the police that they've of their custody,” Velasquez tweeted.

Petro echoed requires the hostages’ launch. “I insist on the unilateral launch of the law enforcement officials,” he posted on Twitter. “The safety of their integrity is crucial for the federal government.”

Twenty-two protesters have additionally been injured, in accordance with an area farming affiliation concerned within the demonstrations.

Police advised the information company Reuters that dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a disbanded insurgent group, might be concerned within the violence. In 2016, the FARC signed a peace deal that some members rejected, in favour of continued armed motion.

However Alexander Ospina, a spokesperson for the communities concerned within the protests, advised Al Jazeera he had seen no indication of involvement from FARC dissidents. He stated such rumours appeared meant to delegitimise the agricultural communities’ battle.

Protesters have known as for Emerald Power to assist repair roads and put money into native establishments, together with colleges. As a part of the unrest, members of native communities have blocked entry to one of many firm’s oilfields.

President Gustavo Petro has known as for the hostages to be launched as tensions between an oil firm and rural communities ramp up [File: Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

Ospina stated demonstrators are ready for the arrival of presidency officers to start talks. They hope to succeed in a cope with the federal government over what they take into account Emerald Power’s obligation to construct infrastructure for native communities and supply compensation for environmental injury.

“To de-escalate the scenario, we have to signal agreements with the federal government that correspond to our actuality,” Ospina stated. “If the oil firms don’t wish to put money into our communities, then the federal government ought to take away the oil firms from our lands.”

However Prada, Colombia’s Inside minister, has introduced that the federal government will solely totally enter negotiations with the protesters as soon as the hostages are freed.

“We've got stated that a completely insurmountable requirement to sit down down to speak with a big physique of the nationwide authorities in relation to the social problems with the group is of course the speedy launch of our members of the Nationwide Police and 6 employees,” Prada stated.

About 4,000 farmers, representing greater than 150 farming and Indigenous communities, are current for the protests, Ospina stated.