El Cerrejon Mine in Colombia attacks communities No Pasaran!

Scenes from Tabaco 2001.  Stop this from happening again

STOP THE FORCED EVICTION OF VILLAGERS IN ROCHE

TO MAKE WAY FOR A COAL MINE

Cerrejon Coal and the Colombian courts are threatening to evict indigenous and afro-descendent villagers at Roche, in the northern province of La Guajira, on Thursday 29 August. They want to expand their massive opencast mine. Cerrejon Coal is owned by three mega mining multinationals (Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Glencore Xstrata) and exports most of its coal to power plants in the eastern United States, including the Brayton Point plant in Somerset, MA.

Press and Public Release from the "Forum towards a New National Mineral Policy and the Compensation for the Socio-Environmental Impacts the Guajiro people

WE NEED TO CHANGE THE MINING-ENERGY POLICY

Social movements, academia, trade unions, indigenous peoples, student movements, and the general public gathered at the University of La Guajira on May 9 and 10, 2013, for the Forum towards a New National Mineral Policy and the Compensation for the Socio-Environmental Impacts the Guajiro people. Throughout this event, we expressed our deep concern regarding the uncontrolled advance of the "Mining-Energy Locomotive", promoted by the current Colombian Government.

MEETING ON MINING AND ENERGY ON THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN TOWARD A NEW NATIONAL MINING POLICY

MEETING ON MINING AND ENERGY ON THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN

TOWARD A NEW NATIONAL MINING POLICY AND THE COMPENSATION FOR THE SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM MINING TO THE GUAJIRO PEOPLE

Riohacha, University of La Guajira, 9 and May 10, 2013

1.       Justification

Open pit mining has been practiced in Colombia as a result of its inclusion into the neoliberal international division of labor. This involves the use of financial capital from large multinational companies that have brought deep economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts, while undermining our national sovereignty.

The Other Face of Development in Colombia: Living as Minorities amidst Civil War, Hydrocarbon and Mining Exploitation, and Generalized Human Rights Violations

If you live around the San Diego area, attend this event

The Other Face of Development in Colombia: Living as Minorities amidst Civil War,
Hydrocarbon and Mining Exploitation, and Generalized Human Rights Violations

Colombia is currently engaged in a peace negotiation that may end Latin America’s longest civil war after five
decades. The country has already adopted a new more democratic constitution and made some progress in
demobilizing right wing paramilitary groups, though a number of criminal gangs have risen in their place. Like
other Latin American countries, Colombia has also pushed forward a national development project focused on public and private international oil and mining projects aimed at stimulating economic growth and promoting energy security. Progress on these fronts, nevertheless, has its ugly side. Indigenous peoples, Afro-Colombians and women have expressed their concern that the manner in which the
government pursues these goals undermines the security, safety and health of
the most vulnerable in Colombia. This event presents their experiences and
provides an opportunity for students to gain insights into the challenges raised
by efforts to promote peace and development that will benefit people in their
local communities and not just national statistics. UCSD Faculty Discussants
will provide a comparative perspective on the Colombian experience. Join us
for an award-winning documentary, panel discussion and reception.

Attention from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA for the latest developing concerns of indigenous rights in Colombia

April 5, 2013

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) wishes to bring to your attention the following developments concerning indigenous rights in Colombia.

Alarming Human Rights Situation for Indigenous Groups

The Colombia National Indigenous Organization (Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia, ONIC) presented a disturbing report on March 14, 2013, at the OAS Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the alarming situation indigenous groups face due to violence, displacement, discrimination, poverty, and institutional abandonment by the Colombian government. The report highlighted the critical condition of over 66 indigenous groupings that face cultural and physical extermination; many of whom have a population of less than 500 people. Their livelihood is affected by military operations and mining concessions in their territories, which in some instances totals 54 percent of an indigenous reservation.

Moratorium of large mining and the majority of the regional national park area of Santurbán, requested by the Departmental Assembly

As you can read here, the impacts of mining by multinational corporations are not only a problem in La Guajira...

Press Office of Representative Roberto Schmalbach, Bucaramanga, November 28, 2012

 With the assistance of the Plateau of Bucaramanga Defense Board, CDMB, the director of AMB, some of the mayors and town councilmen of North Soto, the Comptroller and the Attorney General, the regional director of national natural parks, the legislators and the environmental and civic organizations which fight for preservation of the water and the ecosystem of the páramo, the debate over the declaration about the Natural Park, proposed by the Representatives Carlos Alberto Morales and Roberto Schmalbach, was held in the departmental Duma. 

The Colombian Caravana UK Lawyers group letter to Cerrejon

Through this letter, The Colombian Caravana UK Lawyers Group, a group of international lawyers that monitor human rights abuses faced by legal professionals in Colombia, ask Cerrejón for explanations regarding their negative impacts in the local communities of La Guajira, Colombia, despite their “social responsibility” programs. The Colombian Caravana expresses their concern for the health of workers and community, the environment, and the lack of transparency in the process of prior consultation (consulta previa) in their expansion project. In addition, this group of lawyers request legal information and make some interesting proposals.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3XAZ4n5WrNfOTlxc2hNMjI4aVk/edit?usp=sharing