International News: 2 dead; dozens of police officers held hostage in Colombia protest against oil company

By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: On Thursday, a police officer and a civilian were killed during violent protests in Caqueta, Colombia, Reuters report.

In addition, 79 police officers and 9 oil field workers were taken hostage by members of rural communities.

Violence erupted in San Vicente del Caguan as members of rural and Indigenous communities blocked access to an oil field and set a fire reportedly to demand Emerald Energy help fix roads.

President Gustavo Petro has denounced the killings and kidnappings.

“We have a popular movement which by its exclusion and the influence of groups which want to destroy this government and subsume Colombia in war, has ended up murdering a young policeman,” he said.

Protests in communities near oil and mining projects regularly occur in Colombia as communities push for companies to build infrastructure including roads and schools.

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