On January 22, the Unión Sindical Obrero (USO) returned to Campo Rubiales in an act of strength and defiance to show that nor threats, nor assassinations, nor contract terminations can keep the USO away. This public return involved various events with USO members from all over Colombia as well as participation from accompanying organizations and groups such as members from the Sikuani community in Puerto Gaitan, the Comite Ambiental Agrario y Comunitario de Puerto Gaitan, the National Movement for Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), CUT (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores), student groups from Villavicencio, La Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia, and Project for International Accompaniment and Solidarity in Colombia.
The day started with a board meeting of the national board of USO, then USO members and their accompaniers proceeded to visit different locations within Campo Rubiales with the intention of spreading the message to the workers that the USO was back and was going to fight for better working conditions, stable contracts, and for Eco Petrol to not renew Pacific Rubiales’ contract in 2016. When the group reached their first destination in Campo Rubiales where hundreds of workers usually eat lunch, they found the place empty of workers and instead occupied by ESMAD (S.W.A.T.) police forces. They then went to a different cafeteria and found the doors blocked by police and private security force, who refused to allow USO members to enter. After a slight scuffle between both sides, the USO succeeded in entering the cafeteria and distributed fliers, gave speeches about the importance of worker power and solidarity, and informed the workers that the USO was coming back. The USO ended the powerful day with the installation of the new office of the USO in Campo Rubiales.
The return of the USO to Campo Rubiales is nothing short of historic. After a long and heavy labor fight between Pacific Rubiales and the USO for better working conditions in 2011, the majority of the USO membership in Campo Rubiales were fired, threatened, and put on a do-not hire black list. In 2013 three USO members from Campo Rubiales were arrested and detained on serious charges of aggravated kidnapping, obstruction of roads, conspiracy to commit a crime, threats, and violation of the right to work. Despite these setbacks and hardships, the USO arrived to Campo Rubiales with determination and energy to rebuild.
In July of 2014, the USO along with the CUT (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia) launched an alliance, “Common Front against the renewal of the Campo Rubiales contract”
to oppose the renewal of the contract between Eco Petrol and Pacific Rubiales in 2016. Not only has Pacific Rubiales been active in violating and suppressing labor rights, but it also did not respect the right of the indigenous communities in the region to a prior consultation and has caused substantial environmental damage. This alliance wishes the gain sovereignty over the natural resources of Colombia and stop the multinational companies from robbing billions of dollars of petroleum from Colombia without paying royalties or contributing to the overall development of the country. Various social organizations as well as senators Alberto Castilla and Ivan Cepeda from the Polo Democratic Party committed their support for the initiative.
In addition to the alliance against its presence in Colombia, the global economic context has taken a heavy toll on Pacific Rubiales. This January 2015, due to the drop in oil prices Pacific’s bonds fell to a record low and financial analysts predict that if the oil price continues to drop, as it is likely to do, than Pacific risks violating its bond rules on the amount of debt it can accumulate. This change in the economic context has given the USO more hope about the prospect of Pacific Rubiales leaving the country.