By Helda Martínez
BOGOTA (IPS) - Growing social mobilization against gold mining in Colombia, an activity in the hands of transnational companies that led the country to be the most contaminated with mercury the world according to the United Nations Organization for Industrial Development.
"The development, investment foreign employment generation or promises of welfare for residents of the area of \u200b\u200boperation can not be grounds for risking the wealth of our moorland water, "said National Retail Federation (Latest).
This entity informed the government of Juan Manuel Santos his fierce opposition to the mining project Angostura, to extract gold and silver in the open for 15 years by the Canadian firm GreyStar Santurbán the Paramo in the northern department of Santander.
"We do not support an intervention cause irreparable and irreversible damage, "said Erwin telephone IPS Rodriguez, director of the business association in Bucaramanga, the departmental capital.
adhere to this claim Santander Society of Engineers, the Society of improvements and other social organizations. "All eyes are opposed to short term," he said Rodríguez.
GreyStar The company denied that the project affects the environment. "Like I said 20 years ago (U.S. firm) Drummond," said the former Environment Minister Manuel Rodriguez in a public forum in Bucaramanga.
The former official was referring to the environmental damage confirmed in the northern department of Cesar due to coal mining by the company, disasters amounting to serious allegations of human rights violations against the local population and the miners.
precisely those violations led to lawsuits in Colombia and the United States and were part of the objections to finely took place on free trade between the two countries.
"It's exciting for the first time a conglomerate with the participation of middle and high social sectors, leftist political groups and environmentalists to come together around a single goal, as is the protection of water," said geologist IPS Julio Fierro Morales.
Santander social movement is added to the persistence of environmental the central department of Tolima against the intervention of the South African company AngloGold in the municipality of Cajamarca.
"It was constant work," he told IPS by phone Evelyn Fields, director of the nongovernmental Ecostierra.
The strategy is to disseminate widely the devastating effects of mining on the water supply, with 160 sources of water and surrounding ecosystems, such as moorland, forest and cloud forest.
"We visited the villages (sites) to explain to people the ecological damage, causing social and economic exploitation," said Campos.
This type of information is enhanced through a program half-hour daily radio and weekly, also half an hour, which goes by the television channel of Ibague, Tolima's capital.
"This month we began a career in environmental management in the public University of Tolima," said Campos.
social movements are also recorded in the Moors of New Columbus and Vijagual, in the northeastern province of Boyaca.
"Another encouraging example is the mobilization of Embera indigenous and Afro-exploitation of gold in the Cerro Careperro by U.S. company paarte Mining Muriel," said Fierro.
The Constitutional Court has already issued "ruling in favor Indians, peasants, blacks and other citizens who oppose the mining operations with courage, dignity, "Fierro noted.
Demonstrations including southern Bogota against contaminants interventions by the army on grounds of the School of Artillery Catholic Diocese of Bogotá with its Foundation San Antonio and transnational firms such as Cemex, Mexico, and Holcim of Switzerland.
This type of complaints and protests are already old in Colombia, which occupies prominent place in the world for its biodiversity and until mid-twentieth century was one of the leading exporters of gold in the world.
gold
Such activity "fell in line after with the world situation, in ascending order with increasing pollution, "said Fierro
Colombia retains the largest coal reserves in Latin America, besides having silver, platinum, emeralds, nickel, copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc and titanium. It also operates on both terrestrial and marine salt, gravel, sand, clay, limestone, sulfur, talc, gypsum, rock phosphate and ornamental rocks.
All these natural resources attracted foreign investors in the last decade, aided by the Code Mines issued by the government of Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002).
"Encouraged after the successful promotion the next government of Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), who had mining He notes the presence at trade fairs around the world in asserting that social conflict had ended, which would allow mineral development, "said Fierro.
Colombia has
issued about 10,000 mining titles, 4,000 of whom are already in operation, without adequate control by the government, according to environmentalists. This irregularity is recognized by the authorities "to say that so far only 40 officers can check compliance of mining controls, which is insufficient, "he said.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy announced earlier this month a reform allowing increased control in mining, especially in the informal and illegal taking place in different regions, driven by extreme poverty and lack of incentives for agriculture.
is a very dangerous activity. The Colombian Chamber of Mines reported in 2010 death of 134 miners, while 27 have died so far this year in two explosions in coal mines.
"The best thing would be to promote a referendum to allow a new mining code, with policies favorable to the country, conservation of natural and human wealth. Profound changes that are needed will not legislative or government initiative," Fierro concluded.
The scenario for the referendum would boost the Colombian Network Against the Large Scale Crime, which came in February 2010 bringing together more than 50 social organizations in Colombia.
(FIN/2011)
This entity informed the government of Juan Manuel Santos his fierce opposition to the mining project Angostura, to extract gold and silver in the open for 15 years by the Canadian firm GreyStar Santurbán the Paramo in the northern department of Santander.
"We do not support an intervention cause irreparable and irreversible damage, "said Erwin telephone IPS Rodriguez, director of the business association in Bucaramanga, the departmental capital.
adhere to this claim Santander Society of Engineers, the Society of improvements and other social organizations. "All eyes are opposed to short term," he said Rodríguez.
GreyStar The company denied that the project affects the environment. "Like I said 20 years ago (U.S. firm) Drummond," said the former Environment Minister Manuel Rodriguez in a public forum in Bucaramanga.
The former official was referring to the environmental damage confirmed in the northern department of Cesar due to coal mining by the company, disasters amounting to serious allegations of human rights violations against the local population and the miners.
precisely those violations led to lawsuits in Colombia and the United States and were part of the objections to finely took place on free trade between the two countries.
"It's exciting for the first time a conglomerate with the participation of middle and high social sectors, leftist political groups and environmentalists to come together around a single goal, as is the protection of water," said geologist IPS Julio Fierro Morales.
Santander social movement is added to the persistence of environmental the central department of Tolima against the intervention of the South African company AngloGold in the municipality of Cajamarca.
"It was constant work," he told IPS by phone Evelyn Fields, director of the nongovernmental Ecostierra.
The strategy is to disseminate widely the devastating effects of mining on the water supply, with 160 sources of water and surrounding ecosystems, such as moorland, forest and cloud forest.
"We visited the villages (sites) to explain to people the ecological damage, causing social and economic exploitation," said Campos.
This type of information is enhanced through a program half-hour daily radio and weekly, also half an hour, which goes by the television channel of Ibague, Tolima's capital.
"This month we began a career in environmental management in the public University of Tolima," said Campos.
social movements are also recorded in the Moors of New Columbus and Vijagual, in the northeastern province of Boyaca.
"Another encouraging example is the mobilization of Embera indigenous and Afro-exploitation of gold in the Cerro Careperro by U.S. company paarte Mining Muriel," said Fierro.
The Constitutional Court has already issued "ruling in favor Indians, peasants, blacks and other citizens who oppose the mining operations with courage, dignity, "Fierro noted.
Demonstrations including southern Bogota against contaminants interventions by the army on grounds of the School of Artillery Catholic Diocese of Bogotá with its Foundation San Antonio and transnational firms such as Cemex, Mexico, and Holcim of Switzerland.
This type of complaints and protests are already old in Colombia, which occupies prominent place in the world for its biodiversity and until mid-twentieth century was one of the leading exporters of gold in the world.
gold
Such activity "fell in line after with the world situation, in ascending order with increasing pollution, "said Fierro
Colombia retains the largest coal reserves in Latin America, besides having silver, platinum, emeralds, nickel, copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc and titanium. It also operates on both terrestrial and marine salt, gravel, sand, clay, limestone, sulfur, talc, gypsum, rock phosphate and ornamental rocks.
All these natural resources attracted foreign investors in the last decade, aided by the Code Mines issued by the government of Andrés Pastrana (1998-2002).
"Encouraged after the successful promotion the next government of Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), who had mining He notes the presence at trade fairs around the world in asserting that social conflict had ended, which would allow mineral development, "said Fierro.
Colombia has
issued about 10,000 mining titles, 4,000 of whom are already in operation, without adequate control by the government, according to environmentalists. This irregularity is recognized by the authorities "to say that so far only 40 officers can check compliance of mining controls, which is insufficient, "he said.
The Ministry of Mines and Energy announced earlier this month a reform allowing increased control in mining, especially in the informal and illegal taking place in different regions, driven by extreme poverty and lack of incentives for agriculture.
is a very dangerous activity. The Colombian Chamber of Mines reported in 2010 death of 134 miners, while 27 have died so far this year in two explosions in coal mines.
"The best thing would be to promote a referendum to allow a new mining code, with policies favorable to the country, conservation of natural and human wealth. Profound changes that are needed will not legislative or government initiative," Fierro concluded.
The scenario for the referendum would boost the Colombian Network Against the Large Scale Crime, which came in February 2010 bringing together more than 50 social organizations in Colombia.
(FIN/2011)
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