Oil and gas industry promotes the development of indigenous communities in Puerto Gaitán

Puerto Gaitán (Meta), August 4, 2021. 145 leaders and representatives of the indigenous communities of Puerto Gaitán strengthened their organizational and management capacities by participating in four diploma courses provided by the oil and gas industry as part of the Strengthening Project of the Action and Development Table of the Indigenous Peoples of the Municipality.

• Through the Strengthening Project of the Action and Development Table of Indigenous Peoples, funded by companies in the hydrocarbons sector, four diploma courses were held.
• Leaders and representatives of the reserves were trained in project formulation, entrepreneurship, organization and governance, and gender approach.

The diploma courses in Organization and Governance, Investment Project Formulation, Gender Approach, and Entrepreneurship, taught by the Minuto de Dios University Corporation – Uniminuto, “reaffirm the commitment of the hydrocarbons sector to the development of indigenous communities, as this important training process optimizes their social dynamics and the exercise of self-governance while preserving their traditions and values,”, stated the executive president of the Colombian Association of Oil and Gas (ACP), Francisco José Lloreda Mera, who attended the closing event and certificate delivery to the participants today.

The training included academic and practical activities in which the participation of not only older men but also women and youth was highlighted; and concluded with a training in conflict resolution aimed at contributing to the social cohesion of the reserves.

Action and Development Table of Indigenous Peoples

The Action and Development Table of Indigenous Peoples of Puerto Gaitán is a permanent dialogue platform between local, departmental, national authorities, and the indigenous reserves of the Municipality; it was established by the Government of Meta through Decree 067 of February 12, 2019, to promote participation and consensus in decisions that benefit these communities.

Companies in the hydrocarbons sector operating in Puerto Gaitán were invited by the authorities to participate in this dialogue space since March 2019. In this context, Ecopetrol, Frontera, Tecpetrol, Hocol, and Cepsa, in coordination with the ACP and the participation of Fupad, have been executing the Strengthening Project for the Action and Development Table, with the aim of identifying and structuring initiatives that contribute to the management of public and private resources and strengthen the competencies of indigenous communities. In addition to the diploma courses, 21 projects have also been formulated in Applied General Methodology.