Colombia's Council of State (Third Section) ruled that the Corporación Comunitaria Juntas de Acción Comunal Área de Influencia Directa San Isidro de Chichimene (Cjaid) and its then-legal representative Sandra Patricia Ruiz Riaño are liable for damages to state oil company Ecopetrol. ^[1] The Tribunal del Meta initially dismissed Ecopetrol's claim, arguing that unextracted oil remained in the ground and could be exploited later, but the Council of State reversed this decision, ruling that 'deferred production' of a non-renewable resource constitutes real, compensable damage. ^[2] The Colombian Council of State ruled that while the right to protest is constitutionally protected under Article 37, it is limited to public and peaceful gatherings. ^[3] The Council of State determined that violent protests and illegal objectives fall outside the constitutional protection of the right to protest. ^[4] Due to the blockade, Ecopetrol temporarily suspended at least seven commercial contracts and halted operations of several oil wells. ^[5] From 2017-07-31 to 2017-08-15, protesters led by Sandra Patricia Ruiz Riaño blocked the entrances to Ecopetrol's Chichimene plant in Acacías, Meta, demanding greater local hiring. ^[6] Sandra Patricia Ruiz Riaño, who served as president of the community corporation, was identified as a visible leader who actively participated in the development of the blockade and protest actions. ^[7] The court found that the blockade actions in the Meta department were organized, conscious, and voluntary acts intended to impede the normal functioning of Ecopetrol's industrial activity. ^[8] The court ruled that the right to mobilization and protest is not absolute and cannot be exercised when it infringes upon other rights or causes economic harm. ^[9]