Colombia: Gas station strike in La Guajira

Event

Nearly 200 service stations in La Guajira department closed in protest on Tuesday, November 21, as a part of a gas station strike in the region. The closures are intended to pressure the government to stem ongoing fuel smuggling from Venezuela, where prices are significantly lower due to state subsidies. Striking workers also blocked roads in the area, including the Troncal del Caribe road (leading to the border crossing with the Venezuela town of Maicao), the Riohacha-Maicao highway, and a road leading to the Ayatawacoop refinery. It is unclear how long the strike will last.

Context

Striking workers claim there are some 400 “pimpineros” - illegal fuel dealers - operating in the department, which is having a major effect on service station business. The price of gasoline in stations is approximately six times higher than on the black market. The gas station workers are demanding increased border security as well as sanctions against individuals purchasing trafficked fuel.

Smuggling as well as associated violence is common in the Colombian-Venezuelan border region, where various criminal gangs fight for control of lucrative smuggling routes. Goods are also smuggled from Colombia into Venezuela, a country suffering from major shortages of basic goods. The border crossings are regularly used by thousands of Venezuelans coming to Colombia to legally purchase goods not available in their country. Colombia's Ministry of Defense has promised to increase the security presence in the region in order to crack down on illegal crossings and other lawlessness.

Advice

Travelers to La Guajira are advised to keep abreast of the situation, to fill up tanks whenever possible, and to avoid all protests and roadblocks due to the risk of violence. Individuals are further advised to avoid both sides of the Venezuelan-Colombian border due to these and other security concerns.