Colombia trucker protests threaten fuel supplies, state oil company operations

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Protests by truckers in Colombia, who are angry at an increase in diesel prices, have cut off the country's biggest cities and are threatening fuel supplies, though the government insists the hike is fair.

The truckers' strike and roadblocks, combined with attacks on the Cano Limon-Covenas and Bicentenario pipelines, also threaten operations at state-run oil company Ecopetrol, the company said on Wednesday.

The truckers are protesting an increase of 1,904 Colombian pesos (45 U.S. cents) per gallon to diesel prices which began on Saturday, arguing the price rise will affect logistics costs and national competitiveness.

The National Transporters Association (ANT), one of many industry groups, said it had not called a national strike but supported the truckers' protest.

"We respect the right to protest, which comes from the bad decisions taken by the government in the last two years and which have pushed transporters to raise their voices in ways other than dialogue," the ANT said in a statement posted on X.

Leftist President Gustavo Petro has said the increase is fair and that a subsidy in diesel prices should never have been granted, adding that the country will not allow itself to be blockaded.

Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla said on Tuesday the increase is necessary because diesel prices have been held at an average of around 9,065 pesos per gallon for more than four years.

Government subsidies cost 1 trillion pesos per month, Bonilla said, adding the cost was "unsustainable."

Production of hydrocarbons could be affected in the coming days and may affect fuel supplies, Ecopetrol said in a statement, adding that the situation is compounded by social conflict at the company's Gibraltar gas field.

In a later statement, Cenit reported a new attack on the Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline, adding that 15 attacks had taken place against pipeline infrastructure around the same area since August.

Colombia's biggest cities were cut off from the rest of the country by road blockades on Wednesday, as mayors warned of food and fuel shortages.

"We're really affected, the majority of our producers are cut off in the outskirts of Bogota, so this week the situation will be very tough," said Jean Sutter, 44, founder of fresh-produce delivery company Finca en la Nube, who added that many products would be spoiled.

However Sutter said he understood why truckers were protesting.

"I totally support the protest," he said.

In Bogota, the country's capital, school and university classes were canceled while public transport faced severe disruptions.

($1 = 4,187 Colombian pesos)

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Oliver Griffin; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen Coates)