ELN attack against Caño-Limón Coveñas oil pipeline on Nov. 22, two servicemen killed on Nov. 23

Reports indicate that on November 22 a section of the Caño-Limón-Coveñas pipeline was bombed by the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Cubará, in the Boyacá Department, near the border with Venezuela, causing an oil spill which spread to the river Róyota. The attack represents the 84th incident of its kind recorded in 2018 alone. Subsequently, it was reported that on November 23 two servicemen were killed and two wounded after an explosive device detonated along the pipeline, near the El Tarra locale in the Norte de Santander Department.

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These incidents highlight the worsening security situation in the border area between Colombia and Venezuela. As previously assessed, despite attempts to reinforce locales in the vicinity of the 780-kilometer pipeline, the ELN operates extensively through the border states of Arauca, Boyocá, Norte de Santander, Cesar, and La Guajira, using jungle areas to its advantage. As a result, attacks along the pipeline will most likely continue to take place over the coming weeks.