Whistleblower reveals disturbing details allegedly hidden by major company: 'Hiding stuff from the government'

Thanks to a whistleblower, the BBC World Service and Environmental Investigation Agency have uncovered staggering amounts of unreported oil spills and environmental impacts caused by the Colombian oil company Ecopetrol.

What's happening?

According to the BBC, one former Ecopetrol employee, Andrés Olarte, blew the whistle on the oil company's allegedly nefarious activity. He worked there from 2017 to 2019 and witnessed routine disregard for the company's environmental impact.

He told the BBC that superiors would deflect his questions about pollution data. When he left, Olarte shared troubling data with the EIA, which the BBC confirmed came from Ecopetrol's servers.

The data reveals that Ecopetrol has caused more oil spills and pollution in Colombia than it reported, indicating that the company conceals spills from authorities. 

Data from January 2019 showed 839 sites in Colombia marked with "unresolved environmental impacts" labels. Olarte told the BBC: "It lists which one is hidden from an authority and which one is not, which shows the process of hiding stuff from the government."

Felipe Bayón, Ecopetrol's CEO from 2017 to 2023, denied to the BBC that there was ever a "policy to withhold information about pollution."

How is Ecopetrol's pollution hurting the region?

Ecopetrol has processing plants located along Colombia's longest river, the Magdalena. The reckless pollution has impacted countless people and wildlife.

Fishing communities are finding fish reeking of crude oil. Yuly Velásquez, president of Fedepesan, a federation of fishing organizations, told the BBC: "If we don't go fishing, we don't eat."

However, challenging oil companies also comes with a high cost. She said: "If we speak and report, we are killed. … And if we don't report, we kill ourselves, because all these incidents of heavy pollution are destroying the environment around us."

Olarte and many others have received threats from armed groups after challenging Ecopetrol, which Bayon called "absolutely unacceptable." There is currently no evidence that Ecopetrol was involved in these threats.  

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The Magdalena River basin's biodiversity is also threatened. Locals are finding deceased animals in surprising numbers, which some are describing as a "massacre."

Biodiverse areas, like the Magdalena basin, are crucial to the planet's health. Biodiversity stabilizes climate conditions, supports the food and freshwater supply for humans, and reduces disease spread. The river itself is also a source of water for millions of people. 

The Convention on Biological Diversity describes Colombia as a "megadiverse" country where roughly 10% of the world's biodiversity exists, making it a crucial region to protect. Unfortunately, Ecopetrol's pollution is stifling it. 

How can we hold polluting corporations responsible?

Companies must be held responsible for their environmental damage. Stronger environmental policies and strictly enforced standards are necessary. 

It's important to protect advocates like Olarte and Velásquez. And supporting brands that prioritize the environment and pressuring those that don't to change is the best way to influence positive change for the planet.

As individuals, using our purchasing power is a surprisingly effective way to enact change. Harnessing it for good can contribute to the changes that benefit people and the planet.

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