Crude Lies

Crude Lies is the result of over two years of investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) into Ecopetrol, the Colombian state-owned oil company. The findings and the internal database associated with them, hereafter referred to as the Iguana Papers, offer a rare look into “business as usual” for the largest corporation in Colombia.

EIA collected and analyzed an unprecedented level of evidence, documenting and exposing what voices inside and outside of Colombia have denounced for years as some of the oil industry’s worst practices. Our findings present evidence of what appears to be systematic illegal activity by Ecopetrol, known to and greenlighted by the company’s higher management. The company used sophisticated and well-established corporate protocols to systematically cover-up multiple alleged illegalities. It hid critical information about alleged illegal behaviors from authorities and seemingly misled shareholders and the public with campaigns of disinformation.

Ecopetrol’s current alleged modus operandi  threatens Colombia’s global leadership on biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. The mass pollution of the country’s most critical ecosystems undermines national efforts to protect biodiversity and support community livelihoods. Accusations of human rights violations against Ecopetrol are also widely shared by activists who have suffered from cycles of intimidation and persecution. The unique status of Ecopetrol, owned by the State of Colombia but privately run in practice, represents a unique opportunity for the country to chart a path to a future where accountability, transparency, and responsibility are central tenets of the national energy strategy and policy framework.

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