Rebels bomb Colombian pipeline

Colombia’s Cano Limon oil pipeline was paralyzed for a third day after it was bombed by rebels on April 29, state-run Ecopetrol SA said.

The pipeline, which carries 100,000 barrels of oil a day from a field shared by Ecopetrol and Occidental Petroleum Corp., was expected to resume operation over the weekend after military-escorted engineers finished repairs, an Ecopetrol spokeswoman said.


The blast took place hours after the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield, said during a visit to the pipeline that military aid used to help protect the line from sabotage should be redirected to social programs.

“Given that the security of the Cano Limon pipeline is incredibly better than it was five years ago, it makes sense for these funds to be transferred to other areas,” Brownfield told reporters during the visit.