by GeoPark | Nov 27, 2020 | Boletines-prensa
Puerto Asis, Putumayo. November 27, 2020 – La nueva Amerisur, an oil exploration and production company in Putumayo department, reiterates that all its operations are carried out under the highest socio-environmental and operational standards, in strict compliance with the law and with full respect for human rights.
In August 2018 a specialized land restitution Civil Court in Mocoa issued a preventive measure related to a request by the Siona Buenavista indigenous reservation for the restitution of territorial rights, which affected the development of exploration activities in the PUT-12 block. La nueva Amerisur categorically states that since then, neither the Company nor its contractors have entered the territory legally constituted by the reservation nor the additional territory that has been requested to carry out exploration activities.
In full respect of the decisions of the Court and the indigenous community, in August 2018 the Company suspended all exploration activities that had been planned in the area, pending the eventual ruling on requests made by the Reservation.
La nueva Amerisur reiterates its openness to dialogue and its interest in maintaining healthy relationships with all its stakeholders based on respect, trust and the generation of mutually beneficial agreements.
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For further information, write to informacion@amerisurresources.com
by GeoPark | Nov 27, 2020 | Boletines-prensa
Puerto Asís, 27 de noviembre de 2020 – La nueva Amerisur, compañía dedicada a la exploración y producción de petróleo en el departamento del Putumayo, reitera a la opinión pública y a la comunidad en general que todas sus operaciones se desarrollan bajo los más altos estándares socioambientales y operacionales, en estricto cumplimiento de las disposiciones legales y en pleno respeto de los derechos humanos.
Frente al desarrollo de actividades exploratorias en el bloque PUT-12, la nueva Amerisur señala categóricamente que, desde agosto de 2018, cuando el Juzgado Primero Civil del Circuito Especializado en Restitución de Tierras de Mocoa expidió una medida cautelar en el marco de la solicitud de restitución de derechos territoriales presentada por el resguardo indígena Siona Buenavista, ni la Compañía ni sus contratistas han ingresado al territorio legalmente constituido por el resguardo o al que solicita en ampliación para adelantar actividades de exploración de hidrocarburos.
En pleno respeto de las decisiones de las autoridades judiciales y de la comunidad indígena, en la fecha mencionada la Compañía suspendió todas las actividades exploratorias que planeaba ejecutar en dicha área, a la espera de las decisiones que tomen las autoridades respecto a las solicitudes del Resguardo.
La nueva Amerisur reitera su disposición al diálogo y su interés en mantener relaciones armónicas con todos sus grupos de interés sobre la base del respeto, la confianza y la generación de acuerdos de mutuo beneficio.
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Para más información, envíe un mensaje al correo informacion@amerisurresources.com
by GeoPark | Oct 21, 2020 | Boletines-prensa
Puerto Asis, Putumayo. October 21, 2020 – In response to recent declarations by the Association for Sustainable Integral Development of La Perla Amazonica (ADISPA) indicating that La nueva Amerisur denies the figures of the Peasant Reserve Zone and the Association, the Company informs that:
- La nueva Amerisur recognizes the Peasant Reserve Zone as a valuable instrument in the social and environmental classification of the area. Since starting its activities in Putumayo, the Company has sought and created opportunities to promote respectful dialogue between all actors in the territory, including ADISPA, as well as to discuss its projects and resolve its neighbors’ concerns.
- The Company has signed a contract with the State through the National Hydrocarbons Agency in which it committed to carry out seismic acquisition activities for oil and gas exploration in the PUT-8 block in accordance with contractual provisions as well as the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development’s Basic Environmental Guide for Terrestrial Seismic Exploration Programs and the Environmental Guidelines for Terrestrial Seismic Exploration Studies of Corpoamazonia, the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of Southern Amazonia.
- To develop the seismic acquisition project in compliance with environmental legislation, La nueva Amerisur prepared environmental management measures that were approved in December 2019 by Corpoamazonia. All Company activities have environmental licenses and/or permits granted by the relevant authorities.
- In line with the principles of transparency, promoting citizen participation and dialogue processes, La nueva Amerisur has held 32 community meetings since February 2020 to provide information and discuss projects. Almost 750 people took part, including representatives of Community Action Boards and 16 villages that neighbor the project, who expressed their interest in making community benefit agreements related to the seismic program.
- La nueva Amerisur states that a social investment project to drill deep wells to supply water to approximately 165 families from 5 villages in the rural area of Puerto Asis was arranged directly with the representatives of these communities, in response to their perceived needs regarding their difficulties in accessing a resource as critically important as water. This project will be implemented with the necessary social and environmental due diligence, as stated in the minutes of the meetings in which this matter was discussed.
Since it started leading oil exploration and production projects in Putumayo, La nueva Amerisur has worked hard in creating spaces for dialogue and promoting the participation of all its neighbors in its projects’ information and discussion processes.
The Company invites the general public to express any doubts or concerns about the seismic project by calling +57 310280 8098 or sending an email to atentosputumayo@amerisurresources.com.
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For further information, write to informacion@amerisurresources.com
by GeoPark | Jul 31, 2020 | Boletines-prensa
Puerto Asis, Putumayo. July 31, 2020 – La nueva Amerisur, a hydrocarbons company that operates the Platanillo block in a rural area of Puerto Asis municipality, disagrees with protests by some people claiming that the Company has not carried out prevention or monitoring of possible cases of Covid-19. Regarding these false accusations, the Company states that:
- La nueva Amerisur has taken important actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in its Platanillo block operations. Since March the Company has implemented rigorous protocols in compliance with national and regional regulations, which include measures such as:
– Reducing field personnel to the minimum needed to ensure the continuity of operations. No employees or contractors with underlying health conditions have been doing field work since March 15.
– Extending work shifts to minimize staff turnover. No visits have been allowed to the field.
– Testing all personnel before starting shifts. If a result is positive, the worker does not go to the field.
– Carrying out additional tests before entering the field and within the field, including the systematic temperature controls, disease prevention and control training, and the provision of personal protection equipment.
– Systematically and meticulously disinfecting all shared areas, using masks and obligating social distancing among workers.
- Due to the serious situation of a significant increase in Covid-19 cases in the department of Putumayo and Puerto Asis municipality in particular, La nueva Amerisur has redoubled its work with the Puerto Asis Mayor’s Office and the municipal Health Department to implement preventative measures. Some of the measures implemented were also agreed with the community. These consist of:
– The installation of three Covid-19 prevention points on the road between La Alea, Cocaya and La Rosa. At each point, a health professional provides information on self-care measures, records the temperature, and provides personal protection equipment.
– Sending an information bulletin by WhatsApp to inform residents of Platanillo of measures being taken by La nueva Amerisur to prevent the spread of Covid-19, in line with the principles of transparency with communities that neighbor the Platanillo block.
- La nueva Amerisur made a second donation of medical equipment to the Puerto Asis Health Department in July to contribute to Covid-19 prevention and treatment activities in the municipality. The donation included items such as visors, face masks, latex gloves, infrared thermometers, and more than 300 antigen tests.
La nueva Amerisur rejects protests and reiterates its openness to dialogue within the framework of respect. The Company will continue to implement protocols aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19, which were awarded the Safeguard seal by international certification and inspection company Bureau Veritas. It will continue to cooperate with local authorities to overcome this health emergency, demonstrating its commitment to caring for all its workers and neighbors and ensuring their wellbeing.
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For further information, write to informacion@amerisurresources.com
by GeoPark | Jul 22, 2020 | Boletines-prensa
Bogota D.C., July 22, 2020
Doctor
CARLOS ALFONSO NEGRET MOSQUERA
asuntosdefensor@defensoria.gov.co
Carrera 9 No. 16-21
Ciudad
Subject: Early Warning No. 1: Risks of human rights abuses in Puerto Asis
Dear Dr. Negret,
Please accept our warmest regards. As you are aware, Amerisur Exploracion Colombia Limitada is the operator of the Platanillo block, located in the municipality of Puerto Asis, Putumayo. Due to the public order situation that has arisen in the area around our operation, we have the responsibility to present this Early Warning to detail the latest developments that may constitute human rights abuses among our communities, our workers and our contractors.
- According to information provided by leaders and representatives of the villages in the Platanillo block area of influence, such as La Rosa, Mansoya, Sevilla, Peneya, Monteverde, Montebello, El Aguila, El Picudo and Agua Longo, Residual Organized Armed Groups (GAOR) have instructed the communities to: i) oppose the eradication of illicit crops being carried out by Law Enforcement authorities in the area, ii) block the Company’s hydrocarbon exploration and production operations to exert pressure on the National Government and as a strategy to facilitate their mobility in the area, iii) change the directors of the Community Action Boards and thus void the dates established by the Ministry of the Interior for these elections (there are already new Community Action Boards as a result of this) and, iv) “behave well,” suggesting that if they do not do so there will be reprisals. In these meetings, the GAOR also refer to:
a. Possible attacks on infrastructure within the Platanillo block to disrupt connectivity by land between its platforms.
b. The possible detention of Amerisur officials to send messages or demands to the Company. It is important to note that there are Amerisur employees and contractors whose work requires them to travel outside the Block facilities.
c. The possible installation of land mines to attack and intimidate Law Enforcement authorities and Amerisur employees who carry out operations in the area. To pressure communities, GAORs are promoting impromptu processes to elect new chairpersons of the Community Action Boards in villages in the Platanillo Block area of influence.
- On July 14, a worker from the Amerisur Social Responsibility area received a message from supposed members of a GAOR, summoning the worker to a meeting without specifying the specific reason (Annex 1. transcript).
- At 7:30 p.m. on the same date, a Company worker saw what appeared to be a drone flying over Platform 9 of the Platanillo block in the village of La Rosa in Puerto Asis municipality. According to the worker’s testimony, the drone flew over the platform for 8 minutes and later moved south towards the Putumayo River. It should be noted that the exit point of the Amerisur Binational Pipeline -OBA- is in this facility. The pipeline crosses the Putumayo River and connects with oil sector infrastructure of the Republic of Ecuador, specifically the Victor Hugo Ruales (VHR) oil field operated by Petroamazonas EP.
- Pressure exerted by GAORs has led to the Company suffering repeated roadblocks on public roads that connect the different platforms in the Platanillo block. Under the pretext of issues such as greater labor participation, Covid in operations and increased hiring of local vehicles, some community leaders -mainly from the new Community Action Boards- make a variety of demands despite previous conversations and agreements established with their communities.
Since the World Health Organization declared the pandemic, Amerisur has defined and followed strict protocols in its operations to reduce the risk of contagion. These protocols, in addition to compliance with the guidelines issued by National, Regional and Local Government, include but are not limited to extending work shifts to limit staff turnover, health self-assessments, taking temperatures periodically, mandatory social distancing, greater cleaning and disinfection, restricting the entry of visitors, and taking PCR tests before outside workers enter the field.
Furthermore, in coordination with the Puerto Asis Mayor’s Office we have supported the Municipal Hospital to improve its infrastructure for the care of Covid cases and we have donated antigen tests and material for preventative measures and to care for health personnel in Puerto Asis. Likewise, to take care of our neighbors, we have established three Covid prevention points on the road between Puerto Asis and the Platanillo block with symptoms checks and vehicle disinfection for the benefit of general road users. The Puerto Asis Health Department has verified that these preventive measures by the Company are in place.
Based on the above and aware of the essential role played by the Ombudsman’s Office in dealing with this type of Early Alerts, we appreciate the support that your Office can provide to civil society and the Company. To coordinate actions, at Amerisur Norma Sanchez is the point of contact, and is available at email address nsanchez@geo-park.com.
Sincerely,
Diana Dallos
Legal Representative
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