The Colombian military has accused the National Liberation Army (ELN) of carrying out a major attack on the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline in Arauca, a region already marred by conflict and violence. The assault, which took place on Monday afternoon, has sparked concerns about the potential escalation of hostilities in the region, particularly following the recent expiration of a bilateral ceasefire between the government and guerrilla.
The explosion occurred around 12:30 PM in Pavita village, located a few kilometers from the urban center of Saravena in the department of Arauca. Videos shared by local residents show a large plume of smoke rising from the site, indicating extensive damage. Military forces were quickly deployed to the area to secure the site and assist in repair efforts.
“We will be providing support and security for the repairs being carried out by various companies. In addition to that, we are conducting urgent operations in the region,” said General Javier Hernando Africano López, Commander of the Quirón Task Force of the Colombian Army. The extent of the damage to the pipeline, which transports oil from eastern Colombia to the Caribbean coast, is still being assessed, but the attack is part of a broader resurgence of violence by the illegal armed group.
The ELN has historically targeted infrastructure, particularly oil pipelines, as part of its campaign against the state. The group controls significant portions of Arauca, a department bordering Venezuela, and has long used the region as a base for its operations.
The ELN’s renewed aggression follows the expiration of a bilateral ceasefire, which was agreed upon as part of ongoing peace negotiations with the administration of President Gustavo Petro. The ceasefire, which ended on August 3, had been seen as a critical step toward ending the decades-long conflict. However, the ELN has since ramped up its activities, with Monday’s pipeline attack marking the fourth such incident in recent weeks.
On Saturday, August 24, the ELN allegedly carried out another attack on the Bicentenario pipeline in the municipality of Fortul, Arauca. This pipeline, like the Caño Limón-Coveñas, is a vital part of Colombia’s energy infrastructure. The recent attacks have raised fears of a potential fuel crisis, particularly in the aviation sector, which is already grappling with supply challenges.
In addition to the pipeline bombings, there have been reports of increased ELN activity in urban areas. On Sunday night, an official military base in Fortul came under fire from suspected ELN militants. With negotiations in jeopardy, the most recent actions by the ELN cast a shadow over President Petro’s “total peace” agenda, which had been one of the key policy initiatives since taking office in 2022.
The armed group has stated that it will only return to the negotiating table if it is removed from the Colombian government’s list of Organized Armed Groups (GAO), a designation that prioritizes military operations against them. The ELN has demanded that the government issue a decree by August 23 to formalize this removal, a move that would effectively lower the priority of military operations against them.
In a statement, General Africano López condemned the ELN’s tactics, calling them “indiscriminate actions against life, mobility, peace, and the tranquility of the population.” He emphasized that the military would continue its operations to protect civilians and critical infrastructure while also supporting efforts to repair the damage caused by the attacks.
Cenit, a subsidiary of the state-owned oil company Ecopetrol, also confirmed that an explosive device was detonated near a police command post (CAI) in another part of the country on the same night as the Fortul attack.
As violence grips the oil-rich department of Arauca, national media outlets claim that ELN cells are planning attacks in major cities, including the capital, Bogotá. The potential for urban terrorism has raised the stakes for the government, which is now facing criticism for its handling of the peace process and its acquiescence to the Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela for its election fraud on July 28 and a regime that is ideologically allied with the Maoist guerrilla.
