Gustavo Petropresident of Colombiaruled out on Sunday that there is a “shortage of jet fuel” in the country, after the airline Latam warned that three airports no longer have fuel, adding that it is an “irregular activity.”
“There is no shortage of jet fuel. What exists is an irregular activity that is already under investigation”, wrote Petro on his X account, where he shared a statement from Ecopetrol, in which the state oil company guarantees “the supply of aviation fuel”.
Through a statement, Latam warned this Sunday about a fuel crisis for airplanes, which would have left the airports of Leticia, Montería and Bucaramanga without supplieswhile in Bogotá “it is being reduced to critical levels.”
This is due to the electrical failure that affected the Cartagena de Indias Refinery on August 16. and which, according to Ecopetrol, will generate a deficit in aviation fuel deliveries in the country of 5%, according to the airline.
Faced with this information, Ecopetrol indicated this Sunday that the Cartagena Refinery “is operating normally, fulfilling the delivery of fuels” and that during this weekend more than 64,000 barrels of gasoline, 108,500 of diesel and 27,000 barrels of jet were delivered to wholesale distributors.
Besides, Ecopetrol imported 100,000 barrels of aviation fuel that will arrive in the country next weekend and with which “it is projected that by the end of August, compliance with the established legal minimum of 95% in the supply of jet fuel will be achieved.”
“At this time, the Cartagena Refinery is operating according to the established production program. to meet the deliveries of fuels and supplies that the country requires“, the oil company concluded.
The Colombian president, however, did not provide further details of the alleged “irregular activity” under investigation. and that could be behind the lack of aviation fuel.
According to Latam, since the beginning of the week it is “executing a contingency plan to manage fuel consumption” with measures such as loading “extra fuel outside of Colombia” for Latam Airlines international flights, adjustments in operational processes and flight-by-flight monitoring of consumption for each airport in the country.”