Overview

• The August plan would auction rights across 49 oil and gas blocks that the government values at more than $47 billion.
• Leaders from seven Indigenous nations say 18 proposed blocks overlap their ancestral territories and accuse the state of failing to secure free, prior and informed consent.
• Protests and strikes have intensified under a state of emergency, with clashes reported near Tabacundo as demonstrators rally against new extraction plans and rising fuel costs.
• The government maintains the process complies with existing regulations and argues the 2012 consultation remains sufficient.
• Licensing has restarted, with international firms submitting bids for four blocks in April and further auctions scheduled in late 2025 and 2026.