President Juan Manuel Santos announced plans to strengthen law enforcement to protect oil companies operating in the southern Caqueta department, RCN reported Monday.
The head of state said more effective and efficient ways are being explored to protect investors and petroleum companies while maintaining offensive capabilities.
The announcement was made in response to demands from the petroleum companies in the Amazonian department for the presence of law enforcement officials.
“We are looking for more effective way to use the technical mechanisms and manpower in order to protect roadways and maintain the offensive capacity,” he said.
The president called on the civilian population to report extortion by illegal armed groups in order to combat the practice in a more “energetic” way.
Caqueta, the third-largest department in the country, was the scene of two FARC attacks against oil companies and their employees earlier this month. The motivation of the attacks is thought to be the refusal of the companies to pay the rebel group extortion money.
In recent months foreign and Colombian oil workers have been the targets of kidnappings by the FARC and other armed illegal groups.
