Network against large scale mining launched in Colombia

Statement of Colombian Network Against Large Scale Transnational Mining

Colombian Network Against Large Scale Transnational Mining is Launched

22 February 2010

In the context of the grave economic, political and social crisis which Colombia is experiencing, the major owners of capital have continued strengthening their methods of accumulation throughout the national territory, especially on the basis of the policy of handing over our natural and mineral riches to transnational companies, which the national government outlined in “Vision 2019: Colombia as a mining country”.

This process of concentrating wealth, which basically involves appropriating the territories which guarantee the sustenance of the varying populations of Colombia, has generated innumerable conflicts resulting from harsh militarisation, worsening of armed confrontations, human rights violations, superexploitation and impoverishment of communities and workers, degradation of the environment and generalised corruption, which undermine the processes of participation and decision-making which have been established in the regions.

According to official sources, by the end of last year the government had handed over around five million hectares in mineral concessions to transnational mining companies, and others were being sought, more than those allocated for agriculture. At a time, between 2002 and 2009, when foreign investment in mining increased by over 500%, exployment in the sector fell.

In the last few years, different processes of resistance to large-scale mining have been developed, and as a result of these, on 12 and 13 February various organisations, national, regional and local, Afrodescendants, small farmers, students, environmentalists, small and medium scale miners, people working as both farmers and miners, urban and indigenous communities, centres of study, intellectuals and unions, met together in the city of Bogota to share visions and experiences as part of the process of realising our dreams of sovereignty.

Today we present to the country the birth of the COLOMBIAN NETWORK ON LARGE SCALE TRANSNATIONAL MINING, which proposes to do the following:

   1. Struggle against large scale transnational mining
   2. Struggle against the laws of plunder
   3. Defence of life, the ability to live in one’s own territory, and national sovereignty

In order that this be a broad, democratic, pluralist and grassroots initiative, we invite all organisations and social processes in Colombia that are affected by large scale transnational mining to unite with us in this network.

Signatories:

Asociación Agropecuaria de Caramanta - ASAP Caramanta
Asociación Campesina Bien Andantes- Sucre Cauca
Asociación Consejo Regional del Pueblo Nasa del Putumayo Kwe’sx  Ksxa’w
Asociación de Familias Campesinas - BIABUMA
Asociación Minga
CENSAT – Agua Viva
Centro de estudios del Carbón y la Gran Minería
Centro de Estudios del Trabajo CEDETRABAJO
Centro de Estudios Jurídicos y Sociales -Tierra Digna
Colectivo de soberanía Recursos Naturales y Minero-Energéticos
Comisión de Seguimiento y Vigilancia del Páramo El Almorzadero
Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia Y Paz
Comité  de Integración del Macizo Colombiano - CIMA
Comité  de Integración Social del Catatumbo - CISCA
Comunidades Afrodescendientes de las zonas humanitarias y de Biodiversidad del Curvaradó  y Jiguamiandó
Comunidades de Nuevo Cañaveral, Alto Guayabal, Urada, Departamento de Chocó
Corporación Aury Sará Marrugo
Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo
Corporación Colectivo de Abogados LUIS CARLOS PÉREZ
Corporación Compromiso
Corporación Observatorio Social y Ambiental del Tolima – Coalas
Corporación para la Educación, el Desarrollo y la Educación Popular – Instituto Nacional Sindical – CEDINS
Corporación Sembrar
Corporación Social para la Asesoría y Capacitación Comunitaria - COSPACC
Emprendedores por la Ecología y la Tierra – ECOSTIERRA
Federación Agrominera del Sur de Bolívar -FEDEAGROMISBOL
Federación de Mineros de Oro, Plata y Platino FEDORO
Federación de Mineros y Balasteros del Eje cafetero
Federación Santandereana de mineros FESAMIN
Federación Unitaria de Trabajadores Mineros, Enegéticos, Metalúrgicos, Químicos y de Industrias similares – FUNTRAENERGÉTICA
Indígenas Embera Katio
Mineros de Samaniego
Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia - ONIC
Proceso de Comunidades Negras – PCN
Pueblo Cofam
Red Antorcha
Red Colombiana de Acción Frente el Libre Comercio - RECALCA
Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia – REDHER
Red Mateo Kramer
Resguardo de Chidima-Tolo
Resguardo de Urada- Jiguamiandó
Resguardo San Luis Alto Picudito del Municipio de Villagarzón, Resguardo  Kwinas Çxamb (Alto Lorenzó) Municipio de Puerto Asís
Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Minería en Colombia - SINTRAMINERCOL
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria del Carbón - SINTRACARBÓN