Police officer killed with machete as violence erupts in Colombia following protests

Police officers sit after being taken hostage by demonstrators in Colombia. Photo: Reuters

Mathew Charles

March 04 2023 02:30 AM

Protests over road maintenance in a Colombian town have descended into violence after demonstrators took dozens of police hostage and executed one with a machete.

The violent clashes in the town of San Vicente del Caguan, in the southern province of Caqueta, erupted on Thursday after members of rural and indigenous communities angered by the poor condition of roads in the area blockaded a compound belonging to an oil exploration company, Emerald Energy.

A civilian was also shot dead by riot police and nine oilfield workers were held captive alongside the police officers.

The protesters, who set alight oil wells, demanded help building and repairing roads in the area.

Gustavo Petro, the Colombian president, called for the immediate release of the hostages and ordered the country’s defence and interior ministers to visit the region and lead negotiations.

“I expect the release of government officials to avoid any escalation of violence,” he wrote on Twitter. Local police paid tribute to the officer killed in the clashes, identified as Ricardo Monroy.

“Today we are more united than ever,” they wrote on social media, adding that Monroy had “offered his life in the line of duty”.

Many of the protesters are subsistence farmers, who say improved infrastructure would allow them to sell their produce.

Difficult terrain and narrow dirt tracks mean it is virtually impossible for many to transport their goods to market.

“This is a problem that has existed for years,” said William Fierro, a local councillor. “But there is only so much these communities can take.

“They struggle to survive while they witness the profits of an oil giant.”

Local and national government representatives were in talks with the protesters and community leaders yesterday.

“We’re continuing to closely monitor the situation,” said Sandra Preten from the regional government.

Protests in areas close to oil and mining projects are common in Colombia as communities push for companies to build infrastructure including roads and schools.

Police believe dissident factions of the Farc guerrilla group, who reject the country’s 2016 peace deal, could be fuelling unrest in the region.

Locals in San Vicente del Caguan said that Emerald Energy has refused to pay extortion to the guerrillas, who are reportedly demanding a payment of $200,000 (€190,000).

Emerald Energy, a subsidiary of China’s state-owned chemicals conglomerate, Sinochem, has been present in Caqueta for 15 years.