Colombia

Jun. 03, 2009 - Total announced the discovery of a significant gas condensate field in the Niscota block of the Andes foothills, 300 kilometres north east of Bogota, Colombia. Total owns a 50% interest in the block, alongside partners Talisman Energy Inc. (30%) and Hocol (operator, 20%).

The exploration well, Huron-1, drilled a prospect to a depth of approximately 5,500 metres in a heavily faulted area, and encountered several reservoirs, one of which was tested at 3,400 barrels per day of gas condensate, and the others are still to be tested.

The appraisal of the Huron-1 structure is underway with the start of a 3D seismic campaign aiming to precisely define the importance of this discovery and to locate the future appraisal wells.    » read more »

The Time to Vote on the U.S. Colombia Free Trade Agreement Is Now

WASHINGTON, Sunday, July 20, 2008 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez issued the following statement on the occasion of Colombia’s Independence Day with a call to Congress to schedule a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement:

“Freedom and democracy go hand in hand. As our nation celebrates with our Colombian friends and allies on their independence day, we reflect on the remarkable progress that they have made toward stability, social justice and peace. These are developments that all Americans should be proud to support. When Colombia is strong, secure and prosperous, so is the Western Hemisphere.    » read more »

25 May 2008 -- Leaders of Colombia's most powerful rebel group have confirmed the death of longtime guerrilla leader Manuel Marulanda.

A top official for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia appeared in a video aired on Venezuelan television Sunday, confirming the death of the 78-year-old leader. He said the group's maximum leader had suffered a heart attack in March, saying he died "in the arms of his partner." He said Alfonso Cano would take over the top spot from Marulanda.

Colombia's military had called on rebels late Saturday to confirm or deny intelligence reports suggesting that Marulanda was dead.    » read more »

Members of Congress, Colombian And U.S. Unions Pledge Continued Opposition To Pending Trade Deal

May 14, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seven leaders from the largest Colombian unions joined members of Congress and U.S. labor leaders for a news conference on Capitol Hill today to pledge their continued opposition to the pending U.S. – Colombian Free Trade Agreement, despite continued lobbying by the Bush administration and the Colombian government.

Colombia FTA protesters: Photo by b.wu (CC)    » read more »

12 May 2008 -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused neighboring Colombia of trying to provoke a war in order to justify a U.S. intervention in Venezuela.

President Chavez made the accusation Sunday during his weekly radio broadcast.

Hugo Chavez: Photo by Bernardo Londoy (CC)

Both Colombia and the United States have dismissed similar statements by Mr. Chavez.

The remarks came days after U.S. intelligence sources said that documents seized by Colombian forces during a raid on FARC, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels in Ecuador showed Venezuela had deeper ties with the rebels than previously thought.    » read more »

Hoffa Disagrees with Bush Statement on Benefits

April 14, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) –Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Monday said President George Bush is out of touch with American workers when he says a trade deal with Colombia would be good for them.

The Teamsters strongly oppose the agreement.

James Hoffa, Jr at Teamsters Dinner: Photo by Rob Jacob (CC)

"George Bush is dead wrong when he says a trade deal with Colombia would be good for American workers," Hoffa said. "That's the same lie that was told about NAFTA, CAFTA and PNTR. American workers know these trade deals are a disaster."    » read more »

Statement of Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch Division

April 10, 2008 -- We applaud House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for reasserting congressional authority over trade by removing Fast Track treatment from the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Public Citizen will apply its full resources to ensure that the Colombia Free Trade Agreement is defeated by Congress.

The United States should never have negotiated a trade agreement with Colombia, a country with a shameful record of labor leader assassinations and systematic violence against Afro-Colombian communities whose current government has been linked to deadly right wing paramilitaries.    » read more »

Hoffa Says Congress Should Not Vote on This Agreement This Year

April 10, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) –Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Thursday commended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for blocking a vote on the proposed trade deal with Colombia.

The Teamsters will continue to strongly oppose the agreement.

“All of these trade deals are hurting American workers, but this one is especially bad because of Colombia’s horrible human rights record,” Hoffa said. “No agreement with Colombia should be considered until the government prosecutes the killers of trade unionists and until the union killings stop. Already this year, 11 trade unionists have been killed. It will take years to address the decades of violence and impunity that has taken place.”    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The following is a statement from Change to Win chair Anna Burger regarding U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announced plans to delay a vote on the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

“Change to Win applauds Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for resisting strong-arm tactics by the White House and reasserting congressional authority over our nation’s trade policies. The U.S. House should not bring the Colombia Free Trade Agreement to a vote this year. We need a new ‘fair’ trade model before any new trade agreements are considered.”    » read more »

April 10, 2008 -- Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor today in support of a new rule that suspends the requirement that the Colombia Free Trade Agreement be considered within 60 legislative days in the House – giving Congress the prerogative in scheduling a vote. Below are her prepared remarks:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Photo by Randy Bayne (CC)“Mr. Speaker, the vote of the House today is a vote to put the economic priorities of the American people first.    » read more »

04/09/2008 -- BOSTON – Senator John Kerry sent a letter today to President George Bush, expressing his disappointment that the President sent an incomplete Colombian Free Trade Agreement to Congress for an immediate up or down vote.

“This trade deal is a slap in the face to thousands of people in Colombia who have been killed just trying to exercise the right to organize, and yet President Bush has refused to allow the proper Congressional committees even to have a voice in the process and negotiate improvements,” said Senator Kerry.

Senator John Kerry: Photo by Steve Rhodes (CC)    » read more »

April 9, 2008 -- PARTICIPANTS:
Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury
Ambassador Susan Schwab, United States Trade Representative
Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce
Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor
Ed Schafer, Secretary of Agriculture
Steve Preston, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

Protesters against the Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Photo by b.wu (CC)

2:19 P.M. EDT    » read more »

09 April 2008 -- Democratic Party leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have announced plans to indefinitely postpone action on a free trade pact the Bush administration negotiated with Colombia.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says now is not the time for a vote on the Colombian free trade deal.

Protesters against the Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Photo by b.wu (CC)

She says she is asking House members to change the rules for consideration of trade pacts in this particular case, and remove the requirement for action within 90 days.    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Change to Win sent a letter to all members of the United States Congress today demanding they reject the Colombia Free Trade Agreement that President Bush sent to Congress and has promised to sign, despite strong opposition expressed by the Democratic leadership. Congress has 90 days to act on the Colombia trade deal.

Colombia Free Trade Agreement protesters: Photo by A Look Askance (CC)    » read more »

April 07, 2008 -- "President Bush’s decision to send the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement to Congress tomorrow over the strong objections of the leadership of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate shows an outrageous disregard for basic human and workers’ rights.

Colombia FTA protesters: Photo by b.wu (CC)

Workers in Colombia are terrorized every day for standing up for their economic freedom and union supporters are routinely murdered. Our government should not reward the Colombian government for such callous indifference to the rights and lives of Colombian workers.    » read more »