Bolívar Governor Proposes Using Seized Fuel for Emergency Machinery

Bolívar Governor Yamil Arana Padauí has formally requested the national government to issue a decree allowing departments in emergency situations to receive fuel seized from criminal organizations. The proposal aims to transform confiscated fuel into a resource for community protection and disaster response.

Arana's initiative seeks to address bottlenecks in fuel storage within municipalities and bolster the use of heavy machinery for flood and landslide prevention. This comes in direct response to President Abelardo de la Espriella's order for a comprehensive offensive against the theft of crude oil and refined products.

The governor suggested a regulatory pathway to ensure that confiscated fuel does not languish in bureaucratic processes but instead fuels the machinery used for disaster prevention. "Issue a decree, Mr. President, so that all gasoline seized is delivered to the governors of the country and thus used for heavy machinery in disaster risk prevention work," Arana stated.

The proposal also highlights a recurring operational problem: seized fuel often accumulates in local police custody. Municipal authorities frequently lack adequate storage facilities, leading to environmental and security risks. By transferring these seized assets to departmental risk management agencies, the logistical issue of storage would be resolved, and the fiscal burden of purchasing fuel for public works would be reduced.

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Issue a decree, Mr. President, so that all gasoline seized is delivered to the governors of the country and thus used for heavy machinery in disaster risk prevention work.