Colombia court backs Ecopetrol in 2017 blockade case

Colombia's Council of State held the community organization Corporación Comunitaria Juntas de Acción Comunal Área de Influencia Directa de San Isidro Chichimene (CJAID) and Sandra Patricia Ruiz Riaño financially liable for disruptions to Ecopetrol's operations in Acacías, Meta. The ruling, reported by El Tiempo, revoked a lower court decision from the Administrative Tribunal of Meta that had rejected the state energy company's lawsuit.

The sentence was adopted on July 15, 2026, by the Third Section, Subsection B, with Fredy Ibarra Martínez serving as reporting magistrate. The case stems from demonstrations carried out between July 31 and August 15, 2017, at the Chichimene station regarding local job allocation. The protests restricted access for workers, contractors, equipment, and supplies, interrupting industrial activity.

Ecopetrol had initially demanded COP 4,056 million in compensation for lost profits due to deferred crude production. The lower court dismissed the claim citing inconsistencies, as an internal company certificate reported an impact of roughly 35,123 barrels across 20 wells, whereas an employee testified to 19,913 barrels across 13 wells. However, the Council of State ruled that production delays harm revenue generation opportunities regardless of whether oil remains underground.

The high court issued the liability ruling in abstract without setting an immediate financial amount. An expert appraisal will review production logs, sales records, and other operational data to quantify the precise volume of barrels lost and define the final compensation amount.