BP in Colombia A History of Abuses There and Elsewhere

[sabrina 1]

People are wondering how a Corporation responsible for a disaster as devastating as the one in the Gulf could act as arrogantly as BP.

It seems they are doing the exact opposite of everything that might be expected of any Corporation that was responsible for this much devastation. From calling Americans 'whiners' to lying about the extent of the oil escaping from the hole they made in the bottom of the sea, to keeping scientists from being able to assess the damage. Or blocking the press from having access to their workers. Not to mention their CEO bemoaning the fact that his life has been disturbed by the disaster.

Maybe if people knew a little more about the history of their operations in other countries, like Colombia, or South Africa eg, they would not be surprised that BP seems to not only NOT expect the kind of reaction they are seeing here, but to expect the U.S. government to support them.

Even as the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico continues to intensify, BP is once again embroiled in controversy in Colombia. It's not the first time as they have a long history in Colombia:

Colombian Army Attacks Striking BP Workers

A five month long mobilisation against BP in the Casanare region of Colombia has escalated after the Colombian army entered the BP installations with force this week and confronted workers who have been peacefully occupying BP installations since May 23 to protest BP´s failure to conclude negotiations with the workers and community.

At midday on Wednesday a heavily armed commando group of the National Colombian Army leapt over the security fence of the Tauramena Central Processing Facility and subjected the group of workers to physical and verbal aggression. Oscar Garcia, of the National Oil Workers Union said “this war-like handling of a group of workers is an excessive use of force and treats a labour conflict as though it were an issue of public order. This shows how BP is bent on war against workers who are only demanding that their fundamental rights be respected.

BP is used to operating in countries where governments, many of them oppressive, corrupt dictatorships, fully back them regardless of their abuses even providing their militaries to help keep dissenters, workers, environmentalists eg, under control.

This most recent conflict between BP and its workers includes BP refusing to allow the workers to Unionize!

“It is no secret that since BP arrived in the early nineties we have not been able to organize workers until now due to the presence of paramilitary groups operating in the oil fields,” said Edgar Mojica from the National Oil Workers Union.

......

This is not the first time that civil society movements against BP have been met with violence. In 2003, communities protested against BP, demanding action on ecological, social and labour issues. BP refused to negotiate. In the months following community leaders involved in the mobilisation were assassinated (2004 Oswaldo Vargas, 2005 Parmenio Parra). Furthermore, a preliminary public hearing held in 2007 in the UK on BP's activities in Colombia confirmed that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that BP has a case to answer that it is complicit in the extermination of social organisations in Casanare as part of direct strategy to maximise profits.”

Assassinations of those who spoke out against BP's abuses against the environment. Oswaldo Vargas was one of those brave activists. Below is a photo of his brother:


Oil companies behind violence in Colombia




Rubiel Vargas, below. His brother, Oswaldo Vargas, was assassinated by paramilitaries after his civic organization demanded that British Petroleum pave the roads and stop polluting the environment.
WW photos: Deirdre Griswold

Colombians have been fighting BP's abuses for a long time. Many lives have been lost, their environment has been horribly damaged and their waterways contaminated. In 2007 a tribunal looking into these crimes issued its initial findings:

By Deirdre Griswold
Bogotá, Colombia
Published Aug 27, 2007 8:45 PM

In April a year ago, the Permanent Peoples Tribunal began a series of investigations into the role of transnational corporations behind human rights violations in Colombia.

.....

A stinging indictment

When it was all over, the judges and co-judges issued a stinging indictment of the Colombian government and military, the oil companies whose interests they serve, and the U.S. government for allowing these crimes to continue with impunity.

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The judges agreed that the three companies are following similar policies in Colombia, which amount to “the looting of the natural resources and systematic violence against the population. This has involved the destruction of their social fabric, the carrying out of assassinations and persecutions against their leaders as well as violations of the human rights of the majority and the destruction of indigenous groups.”

The document summed up the testimonies that had been presented:

“According to the accusations, the abuses by these companies, which are intended to exert control over the population and avoid any resistance to their activities, have used a combination of various strategies, among them pressures on the state to carry out policies benefiting them, such as the minimizing of state regulation, flexibility in their contracts, the privatization of energy companies, the granting of fiscal advantages, and the delivery of more petroleum and gas reserves to them; moreover, there is the militarization of social life, deepened by the application of Plan Colombia and by the direct support given by the oil companies to the armed forces, legal and illegal, and the promotion of corruption.”

Plan Colombia is the agreement between Washington and Bogotá that has poured billions of dollars into the Colombian armed forces, all in the name of the supposed “war on drugs.” Vast areas of the countryside have been “fumigated”—aerially sprayed with toxic chemicals—a method that does not distinguish between coca plants and a farm family’s cornfield.

These hearings focused on the role of U.S. giant Occidental Petroleum, British Petroleum and Repsol, a Spanish company. There was virtually no coverage of these hearings either here or in Colombia. It took a great deal of courage for those who gave testimony, about family members who were murdered or tortured.

The hearings focused also on what they called the Special Role of the U.S. Government in these crimes:

Special role of U.S. government

In determining responsibility for the gross violations of human rights in Colombia, the tribunal found that, in addition to the Colombian state and the oil companies, the U.S. government also has played a very special role, “defending its presumed right to intervene in any country in order to preserve its security interests, including access to the sources of petroleum, and having contributed decisively through concrete plans, human resources, training and financing to the extreme militarization that surrounds the exploitation of oil in Colombia, as it has also done in other parts of the planet, with harmful consequences for the civilian population.”

Colombia's government with the backing of the U.S. Government has inflicted great damage on the Colombian people and their country. Many have fled to Venezuela to get away from the violence and their lands have been now been taken over by the government.

In this article you can read more about the brutal history of this Oil Giant and you have to wonder why they have been given control over so much of America's oil resources? Why have there NOT been hearings looking into their human rights abuses before setting them loose in this country?


BP's brutal record against people and the environment isn't restricted to Colombia either. Other governments have facilitated their assault on the environment and on human rights. The Apartheid Government of South Africa eg

BP; Beyond Petroleum?

Old problem, new spin

.......

bp's activities in Colombia are not unusual: it uses armed security guards in several countries. Nor are human rights criticisms new to the company. BP operated in South Africa during the apartheid regime and was considered an enemy by the international anti-apartheid movement because it sold oil and gas to the military and cooperated with local refineries despite an international embargo. Its products were boycotted at the request of the NGO TransAfrica, which argued, "Without crude oil, the South African government would stop working. So BP is keeping the apartheid government alive."

.......

But the company's arguments that its activities contribute to better political and civil rights are not borne out by history. There is little evidence that its years of operating in the Nigerian Delta, Southwestern Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, Algeria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Aden have led to such progress

By any standard, this company is a criminal organization. I stopped reading for now as it is too heart-breaking, the human tragedy that this and other Big Oil Corporations have caused and with the support of many governments, some claiming to be Democracies, like this one.

The more I learn about these companies, the more I begin to understand the reaction of this government to this disaster. We look at countries like Colombia and think we are better off. That we have a democratic government that cares about this country. A government that would NEVER defend a Corporation that abused its workers and the environment against the American people.

These corporations are more powerful than governments. Maybe even THIS government. We fight wars on their behalf. We are in Iraq and Afghanistan for THEM. Dick Cheney was working for THEM.

The question is, does every U.S. administration work for them and is that why the government seems to be standing helplessly by as BP uses our Coast Guard, the same way they use Colombia's military, to protect themselves from the American People?

The BP striking workers in Colombia have a message for the American people:

“We have heard about the BP incident in the USA. We send our condolences to the families and fellow workers of those who died due to the failure of BP to take the necessary measures to ensure safe operations and protect the lives of people working for them," said Garcia of the National Oil Workers Union. "Here in Colombia, BP has also shown their lack of respect for life. They have brought about a war that has left over 9000 people dead.”

He added, “We categorically hold BP to blame for this latest catastrophe in the USA and we demand that BP repairs to the extent possible the damage they have caused. We extend our solidarity to the Northamerican people affected and we ask for your solidarity with the Casanarean people and you are welcome to visit and see how things are here.”

The workers and people of Colombia are very brave. BP views them as enemies still despite their claims that they are no longer abusers of human rights. How do they view the American people? Are we their enemies also? Or a better question, how they do they view the U.S. Government now that Dick Cheney is no longer in power? Iow, is the U.S. Government as complicit in Colombia's crimes against the environment and human beings as the Colombian Government is?

I just read that BP is using not only the U.S. Coast Guard but also the National Guard to block coverage of this disaster!! What is going on in this country. Are we a third world country now? Whose military fights for Big Oil abroad and now at home as well?

[Karenina]

1. . .

[Karenina]

2. . .

[dipsydoodle]

3. Since you've chosen Latin America

the headline "BP in Colombia. A History of Abuses There and Elsewhere" would apply even more if changed to "US in Colombia. A History of Abuses There and Elsewhere"

Start with Chile and Guatemala and then just root around.

[sabrina 1]

6. Well, I do know a little about the role of the U.S.

in South America. We always seem to be on the wrong side and I'm wondering when the American people will wake up instead of slavishly following every wrong move into other people's countries just because its our team.

This OP though was about the criminal history of BP especially in Colombia. And how governments have allowed them to use brutal military tactics against workers and protestors.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Just saw your wonderful thread. Returning after sleeping to read it. Thank you. Rec.

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[sabrina 1]

5. Thank you. I try to never miss one of your excellent OPs

I have learned a lot about South America from them and how important it is to know what our government is doing there. Have a good sleep I read your OP also earlier ... :-)