Page 39 - 2019 Sustainability Report

Engaging Communities Through Open Dialogue
Valle del Guamuez is a small town near three of GTE’s planned exploration wells, 1.5 hours away by car from Puerto Asís. Luis Fernando Palacios, who was mayor during the period of initial engagement, tells the story of the critical first interactions between the company, the community and its leadership:
“People were skeptical
of GTE’s plans to drill a
well in the area at first, because of their experiences with other operators. But GTE started a dialogue
with us and their social professionals have gained a lot of trust by truly getting to know people and because they have the backing of the management in Bogotá.
GTE’s support with things like road reconditioning and strengthening of cultural assets in the area has been fundamental for us. Most importantly, through dialogue, we have been able to resolve issues with excellent results.
Working with the company has been a good experience in both easy and challenging situations. The things that people had been afraid of haven’t taken place, and the company’s activities have provided a source of opportunities of legal labour for people. I really hope GTE will be successful in its endeavours here because if it is, then we will be as well.”
Luis Fernando Palacios,
former Mayor, Valle del Guamuez
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