9 importance of the oil industry is reflected in its contribution to the departmental GDP, which depends to a great extent on that activity.” 11 In 1983, the transnational company Occidental Since its Petroleum Corporation (hereinafter “OXY”) discovered the Caño Limón oilfield. 12 discovery, OXY has operated the Caño Limón oilfield, whose oil is transported via the Caño Limón – Coveñas oil pipeline, which is operated by the Colombian company ECOPETROL S.A. 13 43. In that regard, the Human Rights Observatory of the Presidential Program on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law stated that [t]he armed conflict in Arauca is closely associated with the money that comes from the oil and the location of the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline. In addition to the foregoing there is the geographical location of the department and the fact that Arauca is an obligatory transit zone for merchandise and produce, both legal and illicit, bound for Venezuela. These factors make this region strategically important for military, financial, and economic reasons and have encouraged illegal armed groups to establish a presence in the department for more than 30 years […] 14 44. According to an Amnesty International report in 1996 the Cravo Norte Association, composed of ECOPETROL and OXY, 15 signed a collaboration agreement which committed the Association to provide support to National Army’s XVIII Brigade units operating along the Caño Limón pipeline. 16 The collaboration agreement included some US$2 million in the form of an annual disbursement to the Colombian security forces. 17 45. By way of context, it should be noted that on April 23, 2003, the residents of Santo Domingo sued OXY and its security contractor, Airscan, Inc. in a federal court in California, USA. The plaintiffs claimed that in a bid to protect the security of the Caño Limón pipeline both OXY and 11 Annex 1. Human Rights Observatory of the Presidential Program on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Indicators on the human rights situation in Arauca Department as of September 2004, available at: http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/Pna/documents/2010/arauca/indicadoresarauca.pdf. 12 Information available at: http://www.oxy.com/Our_Businesses/oil_and_gas/Pages/og_la_colombia.aspx. 13 Ecopetrol S.A. is a semipublic commercial company organized as a Colombian stock corporation linked to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, in accordance with the provisions of law 1118 of 2006, and is governed by the bylaws fully contained in Public Deed 5314 of December 14, 2007, issued at the Office of the Second Notary of the Notarial Circle of Bogotá Information available at: http://www.ecopetrol.com.co/contenido.aspx?catID=30&conID=38178. 14 Annex 1. Human Rights Observatory of the Presidential Program on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Indicators on the human rights situation in Arauca Department as of September 2004, available at: http://www.derechoshumanos.gov.co/Pna/documents/2010/arauca/indicadoresarauca.pdf. 15 “The agreement which created the Cravo Norte Association was signed on June 11, 1980, by Ecopetrol and Occidental de Colombia and covered an initial area of 1,003,744 hectares. Oil was discovered on June 18, 1983, and Ecopetrol approved its commercial exploitation on November 15, 1983. The following oil fields have been discovered under the contract: Caño Limón, La Yuca, Caño Yarumal, Matanegra, Redondo, Caño Verde, Redondo Este, La Yuca Este, Tonina, Remana, and Jiba in the Llanos Orientales Basin. Occidental is the operator of the oilfields discovered and Ecopetrol is the operator of the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline.” Information available at: http://www.presidencia.gov.co/prensa_new/sne/2004/abril/20/11202004.htm. 16 Annex 2. Amnesty International. Colombia. Laboratory of War - Repression and Violence in Arauca, April 20, 2004, Index number: AMR 23/004/2004. Available at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR23/004/2004/en/23614880-d63d-11dd-ab95a13b602c0642/amr230042004en.pdf. 17 Annex 2. Amnesty International. Colombia. Laboratory of War - Repression and Violence in Arauca, April 20, 2004, Index number: AMR 23/004/2004. Available at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR23/004/2004/en/23614880-d63d-11dd-ab95a13b602c0642/amr230042004en.pdf.