A group of farmers and environmental organizations visited the moor , Santander, to present communities productive activities other than mining on a large scale.
By: Diana Carolina Cantillo E. / Special Envoy
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| Peter all his life has been a farmer of wasteland, but now wants to produce organic food. |
anchored A huge cloud in the mountain can not distinguish between the sky and the desert. The wind drives, breaks through the fog. Those who are on their way to the top of the moor Monsalve, Santander, miss that being nearly 3,000 feet have not felt cold. Then Don Pedro, a local farmer, explains that "it is at night, when clouds Pegaditas stick well to the sky, you begin to feel the cold of the moor."
The journey begins in Upper Cachirí Monsalve toward the moor, which is part of the complex of Santurbán páramo and Surata where the river, which flows through the narrow canyon Magueyes blades and Common, to flows into the Rio de Oro, in the municipality of Girón.
A month ago, the social pressure on the government prevented the Angostura Project, the Gold Label Greystar, was developed in the desert of Santurbán.
Now the original purpose of the ecological mission, consisting of 30 people (peasants, Afro-Colombians, indigenous people, environmentalists, researchers and academics), was to reach the top of the complex, located in the municipalities of veins and California-but for security reasons would be impossible to get there, and teach the inhabitants of these regions economic activities other than mining, which uses large quantities of chemicals and water.
"Let the farmers grow food for their own regions, used to be a challenge. They could not imagine what it was a broth with organic potatoes, "says Adam Rankin, environmental engineer and director of Fundaexpresión and Agroecological School. Rankin says that it is possible to think about sustainable production processes with native seeds, no pesticides and chemicals, to ensure food self-sufficiency of these communities.
is the case of the School of Agroecology Soto Province, Santander, which started in 2001 at the initiative of Fundaexpresión and technical support from the Industrial University of Santander (UIS). There, about 50 farm families associated Lebrija, Surat, Matanza, Floridablanca, Girón, Piedecuesta, Tona Charta and have recovered more than 180 kinds of potatoes, well diversified planting crops of beans, corn, beans, vegetables, celery and quinoa, and maintain livestock friendly environment, such as trout farms. This group has created rural homes to promote and sell their products. In Santurbán also be possible.
the distance is hard to see a forest of pine and feels like a fresh scent of eucalyptus. Some of those who undertook this journey contemplate with admiration for these plants beautiful and imposing, compared with the others that are seen on the road. Tatiana Rodriguez, mining research Censat-Agua Viva-Colombia-environmental organization, points out that neither of these plants are characteristic of the moor, which were planted by the Corporation Autonomous Regional for the Defense of the Bucaramanga Plateau (CMDB) for over ten years as a reforestation plan because of the burning land to create pastures. Further explains that require large amounts of water to grow, removing the opportunity to live in the bushes typical of this ecosystem, which have the function to capture the water and release it slowly.
"The moors are like a sponge. If you start a piece of land and the Crushers, he's out sick water. That's why these big companies are behind it "is the explanation given Landazábal Lina Cruz, a native of Cachirí, a township of Surat in the department of Santander. She has lived all his life in the subpáramo de Monsalve, which has a plot that develops in crops without chemicals and pesticides. Remember that his brother died in an illegal mine because of cyanide and that's why and pollution that have caused the moor, and mining it will not.
Lina Cruz is responsible for leading the group through the rocky and slippery trail in the wilderness, until Monsalve, road as she can walk blindfolded because he runs into a beast 30 years ago or on foot, according to the weather.
Before getting into the wilderness, in the village of Cachirí, the group met with farmers and Surata Marta Patricia Smith, Secretary of Health of the municipality, in order to exchange their experiences regarding the preservation of ecosystem heath and productive alternatives used in other regions, such as agro crops and a project called Green Gold.
Oro Verde was born as an initiative of organizations such as the Fundación Amigos del Chocó (Amichocó) and the Community Council of Chocó, where the younger generation seeking Choco practice the ancient techniques of artisanal mining, which are applied for gold alluvium, such mazamorreo, zambullidero and water run.
Green gold is natural and is marketed Under this premise around the world since 2006, making it have an added value that means that you pay more for it than for the gold extracted using chemicals. Currently 194 families of Afro-Colombian and indigenous Upper San Juan (Chocó) benefit from the project. But multinationals are behind the other method, the contaminant.
For Surata, according to José Ignacio Echeverría, mayor of the municipality, "100% of the land has mining application. The only thing it saves is 10 meters wide and 25 kilometers long has the river. " During the visit to this county, it was observed exploration performing Barracuda Gold mining company that is opening track Cachirí to Groves.
In this meeting came the proposal to create a peasant reserve not only to defend the wilderness area that belongs to the township, but to protect their livelihoods and sources of self-preservation, like the peasants with purely agricultural vocation and not mine. Eber
Abello Villada, councilman and member of the Association of Producers Caramanta Township, Antioquia, who is part of the ecological mission, believes that "the only way that we have the people who live in areas where there is gold, to partner in community them against the multinationals and the government itself, for whom raw capitalist development and not caring water. "
Lina Cruz goes to the front of the journey and to give encouragement to the weary hikers told that "the virgin wilderness is only to snuff and a half." For now only see pastures, moss that the locals called poor mattress, stocks-a hot pink tubular flowers that provide food for hummingbirds, "Uvos and blackberries. Along the way, Lina Cruz explains to his students all the secrets they hold the land: "This is the Pain-killer," he says pointing to a plant-and use it to cure all ills. " Then he laughs. After an hour away, is plenty of straw and a small-stemmed plants with leaves of velvet: the frailejones. That indicates the moor. Follow the walk another five minutes until a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus welcomes visitors. There the group makes a circle, people hold hands and make a prayer, that everyone has their god and according to their belief. The group promises to be the guardian of the nature of their regions, most precious as gold with them being tillers of the soil.
The truth is that few have been stripped Santurbán in the cold mountain defending the environmental cause, and other tips on the verge of lynching have tried to protect the mining industry, which they consider their livelihoods. It seems that the fog attached to rocks and the multiplicity of its horizon bewitch everyone who walked on this paradise.
Greystar The failed attempt
On 17 March, when it emerged that Canadian miner Greystar withdraw his application for a license for the exploitation of gold in the wasteland of Santurbán, Santander, the company is left open the possibility of a new project in this region: underground mining.
The response of the Ministry of Mines and Energy was immediate. Through a statement said "Must be sufficiently clear that in no way viable underground mining project that would undermine the comprehensive ecosystem subpáramo moor."
From that moment there was silence in Greystar. The latest news from the multinational ran on behalf of a jolt in their positions. He was appointed as president Rafael Nieto Loaiza Colombian lawyer, replacing Steve Kesler, who led the failed Santurbán licensed.
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