Mining In Colombia

The Colombian Attorney General made headlines over the weekend when he called for the Colombian government to make illegal mining a felony because of the tremendous damage that it causes to the environment. Attorney General Alejandro Ordóñez made his appeal in the context of strengthening protections for the environment in Colombia, arguing that the government, companies, and private citizens are all responsible for protecting Colombia’s natural resources, which make it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Ordóñez, in highlighting individuals’ and companies’ responsibilities towards the environment, was drawing linkages between illegal mining activities and the controversy surrounding Drummond’s operations in Colombia. Drummond has been repeatedly accused of causing damage to Colombia’s coastline by dumping coal.

On the subject of illegal mining, Attorney General Ordóñez also called on the federal government to resolve the uncertainty regarding the Paramo of Santurbán. Theoretically, high-altitude paramos are protected areas in Colombia, and mining is illegal within their borders. One consequence of this law has been to make the demarcation of these areas a very politically-charged process, which has slowed the process down significantly. The Attorney General was pointing out that the persistent delays in finalizing the borders of the Paramo of Santurban has permitted a resurgence of illegal mining, and thus more environmental damage, undermining the original intentions of the law.

It appears that some of the Colombian authorities are taking illegal mining seriously. In the Amazonas department of Colombia, in the Amacayacu National Natural Park, fourteen illegal miners were detained and transported to the departmental capital in a joint operation by the Colombia Air Force, Army, National Police, and Attorney General.