Colombia steps up grid security in Tolima

Colombia's Attorney General's Office has asked Tolima authorities, the departmental police and the Sixth Army Brigade to report what actions they have taken to protect critical electricity transmission infrastructure and prevent further incidents in the department. The request follows a communication from Enlaza Grupo Energía Bogotá S.A.S. E.S.P. about public order disruptions affecting strategic assets in the system, with risks to service continuity, the safety of workers and contractors, and state infrastructure.

What exactly did the Attorney General's Office ask for?

The Attorney General's Office requested detailed information on the security measures already implemented in Tolima's transmission grid, coordination efforts among authorities, security councils that have been held, and the strategies planned to prevent new attacks and ensure protection for workers and contractors, as well as the continuity of electricity service in the department.

In its preventive official statement, the watchdog did not stop at requesting a general report. It formally asked the Tolima Secretariat of Citizen Coexistence, Security and Public Order, the Tolima Police Department and the Sixth Brigade of the National Army to explain their response to the case and the protection scheme deployed around the grid.

What events prompted the alert?

The alert was triggered by reports of attacks on transmission networks in Tolima, including the alleged May 8, 2026 attack on Tower 185 in Planadas, which affected the structure of the Alférez, Tesalia 1 and Tesalia 2 circuits, according to Caracol Radio coverage.

That same report said National Police intervention was needed to secure the area while maintenance personnel were evacuated to Neiva. The Attorney General's Office used that precedent as the basis for insisting on protection of infrastructure it considers critical to the delivery of service.

What else did the watchdog say?

The Attorney General's Office framed the request within a broader concern about the security and reliability of the energy system. In a later statement, the attorney general called a technical working group on the country's energy situation, focused on so-called energy peace and centered on supply, reliability, the condition of generation, transmission and transport infrastructure, and the continuity of electricity and natural gas services.

That technical forum serves as the institutional backdrop for the alert in Tolima, where the immediate focus remains on preventing new incidents against strategic transmission assets and preserving the safety of those who operate and maintain the grid.