The World Briefly

March 06, 2023

Burdens of Power

Colombia

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The Colombian government negotiated the successful release of 88 hostages over the weekend who were taken during deadly protests against an oil company in the country’s south, Al Jazeera reported.

Last week, thousands of protesters from farming and Indigenous communities in the Caquetá province shut down access to an oil field operated by the Emerald Energy firm. Videos showed demonstrators burning company property. Clashes with authorities led to the deaths of two people, including one police officer.

Nine company employees and 79 police officers were taken hostage as part of the protests, which demanded Emerald Energy improve infrastructure in the area and compensate for environmental damage.

Leftist President Gustavo Petro appealed to protesters to give up, promising “dialogue” with them “about their needs, their complaints, their claims.” Officials told the protesting communities that the government would address their concerns only after the hostages were released.

Even so, Colombia’s conservative opposition chided the government for failing to take tougher action against the demonstrators and showing “indifference” to the families of the hostages.

Observers described the incident as a setback for Petro – considered Colombia’s first leftist leader – who vowed to resolve the country’s nearly six-decades-long internal conflict through a policy of dialogue and negotiations, intending to achieve “total peace.”

The new government has resumed peace talks with the National Liberation Army, the country’s largest remaining rebel group.

But Petro is facing fresh scrutiny as Colombian authorities have launched investigations into his brother and older son for corruption, Reuters noted.

The president, however, welcomed the probes for both relatives.

This story originally appeared in the March 06, 2023 newsletter, The Black Sheep and the Family.