DocVille cancels the screening of pro-mining documercial ‘Not in my country’

DocVille documentary festival cancels screening of pro-mining propaganda film ‘Not in my country’

  • Docville cancelled the screening of ‘Not in my country’, a movie that criminalises local communities and activist that oppose destructive mining projects in their country
  • The screening was cancelled under pressure of planned protest
  • We call on everyone to listen to the voices of local communities and respect their right to refuse mining projects

Leuven documentary film festival DocVille cancelled the session ‘ethisch mijnen, kan dat?’ (ethical mining, is it possible?). The discussion would have been centered around the movie ‘Not in my country’, a documentary made by Peter Tom Jones, the director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals. This piece of propaganda criminalises people protesting against lithium mining in Jadar, Serbia by Rio Tinto. It argues that they are puppets for the extreme right and the Kremlin.

The agenda is clear: Peter Tom Jones wants more mining in Europe and to accomplish that goal local communities fighting the destruction of their environment by mining need to be silenced and marginalized.

Criminalisation of activism
A recent opinion piece by Catapistas in De Standaard sums up the problems with Jones’ stance: “Jones suggests that climate activists form “unnatural alliances” with far-right groups. This is a dangerous and unjust framing, reminiscent of the way Indigenous and local communities worldwide are systematically criminalized when they resist destructive mining projects. The legitimate opposition of concerned local communities, whose immediate environment and way of life are threatened, is dismissed as extreme, unreasonable, or selfish. How can we speak of a fair debate when one voice is marginalized from the outset?”

It was clear that this movie was not a backdrop for a fair debate. You don’t preface a debate about PFAS, with a clip by 3M or a panel about arms ownership with a movie by the NRA. It doesn’t come as a surprise that people were planning to react to this events. Belgian academia and arts launched an open letter denouncing the neocolonial narrative of the movie. Marginalising voices wanting to defend their lands is indeed reminiscent of the way colonial powers tried to justify their exploitation. People in Barroso (Portugal) and Jadar (Serbia) had already voiced their anger at the screening of this movie. Together with different groups in solidarity, they were preparing to give the voice Jones is trying to marginalise a platform at the screening. People have the right to say no against mining on their lands.

Cancellation of the debate
We understand that DocVille aimed to foster a serene debate and, as a result, decided to cancel the screening of the documentary. The film has proven to be highly polarizing, and the criminalization of local communities understandably leads to outrage. Anyhow, CATAPA rejects any form of intimidation or violence.

However, we must not overlook the broader issue: communities worldwide that resist mining projects frequently face repression, violence, threats, and even murder. Organizations such as Amnesty International have extensively documented these human rights abuses. The very same corporations that this documentary seeks to defend are the ones silencing these communities and violating their right to free speech. We strongly condemn these tactics.

The documentary—referred to as a “documercial” in the open letter—unilaterally promotes the interests of Rio Tinto, a company with a troubling track record of human rights violations, environmental destruction, and internal misconduct, including cases of sexual violence and racism. Rio Tinto has been implicated in war crimes, the destruction of Indigenous sacred sites, and the dumping of toxic mining waste, such as cyanide. Given this background, it is not surprising that such a one-sided portrayal of the mining industry is met with resistance.

Furthermore, the close ties between the mining industry and certain academic institutions raise concerns about conflicts of interest. Research institutions, particularly those benefiting from EU-funded Horizon projects, often collaborate with industry players, leading to biased narratives that overlook alternative solutions. Rather than focusing solely on increased mining, we should prioritize material reduction, efficiency, recycling, and urban mining—strategies that receive far too little attention. The claim that there is “no alternative” to large-scale mining in the EU is not only misleading but also politically motivated.

We call on everyone to listen to the voices of local communities, respect their right to refuse mining projects, and foster a truly open and democratic debate—one that is not dictated by corporate interests but by genuine concern for social and environmental justice.

 

The Academic World Has Too Close Ties with the Mining Industry


Protests defending the Jadar region against Rio Tinto’s mining activities.

The Academic World Has Too Close Ties with the Mining Industry
Discrediting protests against mining is not the right path to a green future

Peter Tom Jones, director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals wrote an opinion piece in Belgian newspaper De Standaard defending European lithium mining and smearing ecological defenders. Catapistas Kim Claes, Alberto Vázquez Ruiz, Robin Roels & Hanne Cottyn wrote a response.

De Standaard Published at 16/03/2025

In his masterpiece 1984, George Orwell describes how a constant state of war is used to control the population: it creates fear, justifies authoritarian measures, and suppresses critical voices. In his opinion piece (DS, March 7), Peter Tom Jones, director of the KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, applies similar rhetoric to the debate on mining and Europe’s raw materials supply. Jones claims that concerned citizens and NGOs opposing mining are “missing the point” and undermining the green energy transition. Instead of engaging in a constructive debate about the future of resource policy, he dismisses anyone who questions the necessity of large-scale mining as an enemy of progress. This is no longer an academic discussion—it is a politically charged attack on democratic participation.

Jones suggests that climate activists form “unnatural alliances” with far-right groups. This is a dangerous and unjust framing, reminiscent of the way Indigenous and local communities worldwide are systematically criminalized when they resist destructive mining projects. The legitimate opposition of concerned local communities, whose immediate environment and way of life are threatened, is dismissed as extreme, unreasonable, or selfish. How can we speak of a fair debate when one voice is marginalized from the outset?

Moreover, Jones asserts that there is “no alternative” to increased mining in the EU, while numerous possibilities remain largely unexplored. The drastic reduction and more efficient use of metals are barely mentioned. Why is the focus so one-sidedly on primary extraction? The answer partly lies in the overly close ties between research institutions and industry. For years, the industry and some academic institutions have collaborated within EU-funded Horizon research projects. While such cooperation is not inherently problematic, the risk of conflicts of interest is real when there is no public oversight. How independent is research when the same industrial players are systematically involved?

A Long List of Disasters
A key question arises: are we truly exploring the most sustainable solutions, or only those that fit the business model of mining companies that channel their profits to shareholders? Jones uses EU research funds to promote mining within the EU. This raises concerns about the scientific integrity of his argument, especially when he highlights only the benefits and downplays the drawbacks. How scientific is it to systematically ignore the International Resource Panel (the United Nations expert panel on natural resources)? The negative impacts of mining on local communities and ecosystems are well documented, yet Jones barely mentions them.

A common argument is that Europe has “better” mining standards than the rest of the world and can therefore engage in “responsible mining.” However, there is no guarantee that Europe would actually do better. Just over fifteen years ago, Europe had the second-highest number of mining tailings dam failures in the world. There is also a long history of mining disasters, conflicts, human rights violations, flawed public consultations, and ecological devastation within Europe.

We are at risk of repeating the same mistakes, with the recently proposed Omnibus legislation and the broader dismantling of environmental protection regulations in the EU. This will lead to weaker environmental impact assessments and the erosion of permitting procedures. Natura 2000 areas—the most valuable natural habitats in the EU—are under threat, and local communities have little say in the matter.

A False Choice
This is supposedly all necessary to ensure that Europe does not lose the geopolitical race. The narrative that Europe will “lose its prosperity” if it does not act quickly primarily serves the industry’s agenda. We are constantly being instilled with fear: from Chinese control over electric vehicles, Russian influence in mining protests in Serbia, to American threats in Greenland. By framing Europe as being in a geopolitical struggle where mining is the only salvation, we are presented with a false choice: either we dig more, or we lose our prosperity and geopolitical standing. Just like in 1984, this rhetoric is not meant to foster open debate but to silence critical voices. However, we do not need to blindly follow this economic war rhetoric. The real issue is not that people resist change, but that the proposed change primarily benefits certain economic actors rather than society as a whole. A fair transition requires policies that prioritize well-being over profit. This means a resource policy aligned with the recommendations of the International Resource Panel, emphasizing drastic material-use reduction and international cooperation. Such an approach would actually make Europe more independent from major powers like the U.S. and China. A focus on material efficiency, recycling, urban mining, and circular strategies rather than unchecked extraction. Full participation of local communities, with respect for their right to say “no.” A critical look at the entanglement of science,  policymakers, and industry, with strict regulations and public oversight to prevent conflicts of interest. The transition is too important to be left to an industry that only serves its own interests. Let’s conduct the debate based on honest information—without fearmongering and without discrediting critical voices.

Yuturi Warmi – Indigenous Women Resist Gold Mining

Margot Tjolle studied a MSc in Environment and Development at the University of Copenhagen. For her Master’s thesis, she went on field work in the Serena community with her two research partners, Filippo De Rossi and Marie Eenens. They decided to collaborate and live with Yuturi Warmi to conduct a research project aiming to understand how endangered communities can build alternatives to mining and extractivism.

The scourge of industrial gold mining
In recent years, the Ecuadorian Amazon has been increasingly impacted by the scourge of both illegal and “legal” gold mining. However, the mines operated by official companies are often also considered illegal by the local populations, as they notoriously enter their territories without their prior free and informed consent, and operate without environmental permits.

The negative impacts of industrial gold mining start with the deforestation and contamination of the soil and rivers by the toxic chemicals used in the extraction process, predominantly mercury. In addition to destroying the precious biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, the contamination brings an array of health issues to the communities that depend on the river water to survive, such as skin diseases and cancer. The soil contamination prevents anything to grow, jeopardizing their agroforestry organic farms, a vital part of their lives and indigenous cultures. Mining also sabotages other more environmentally-friendly sources of income such as tourism, as the contaminated land and rivers are not attractive to the foreigner’s eye anymore. Another important impact to mention is the rise of insecurity and delinquency the mine brings to the communities, as the resulting lack of educational or economic opportunities breed alcoholism, prostitution, and drug abuse and trafficking.

“Yes, sometimes I get angry, because these mining companies want to enter our territory, they want to damage the water, especially water is our life. Water is for children to bathe, for cooking and for us to drink. By entering, the miners want to leave the timber trees well damaged. In our territory to plant cassava, banana, those will also be very damaged, when they throw away chemicals. And that’s why we, the women here, from this Community of Serena, stand hard. We stand hard so they don’t enter. That’s why we became the Yuturi Warmi association.” – Corina from Yuturi Warmi

The resistance of Yuturi Warmi
Yuturi Warmi is the first indigenous women’s led guard of the Napo province, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Yuturi Warmi translates directly to “conga woman”, “conga” being a certain species of ants which are considered warriors in the Kichwa culture. Conga ants are peaceful until their territory is threatened: if an unwelcome presence gets close to their nest, they unite and bite the individual to defend themselves. More than 40 Kichwa women are dedicating their daily lives to resist mines from entering their land. By using Indigenous Justice – spears, chili peppers, tobacco and nettles – as arms, they stop the miners from entering the Serena community which is one of the last areas that gold mining has not infiltrated and polluted their rivers, soil and bodies. They also regularly patrol the area, and make traditional artisanal products such as beaded jewelry, weaved bags, and ceramics, as an additional source of income. Together with the support of their families, they march in various protests to raise awareness that there is indeed an alternative to the destructive development path that the mining companies promote.

“In other places or in other communities, they tell us that mining brings money. And if there are some families who turn to mining and sell their land it’s due to lack of money, out of necessity.” – Leila from Yuturi Warmi

Unfortunately, the precarious economic conditions in which many communities live, coupled with the lack of opportunities, forces them to accept leasing or selling their land to the mines, for the meager promise of a short-term economic benefit. It is crucial for communities to have the means to build alternative sources of income to the mine, which do not jeopardize their future. In other words, it is vital for communities to practice their right to say no to extractive projects on their territories and their right to say yes to their chosen way of living and relation with their surroundings.

“For the future of the Yuturi Warmi, we have always been talking about focusing on community tourism. Because if we do community tourism we can bring foreigners to know and respect our territory, know our rivers, our waterfalls, our mountains… And also to provide work for students. Here, our high school graduates are not given work unless they have 2-3 years of experience. And if they do not have a third-level education, they do not have a job. So, doing community tourism would help us a lot because our children can be jungle guides, rafting guides, chefs. So there is work here in the territory and they don’t have to emigrate. That is our dream, that is our future. And with that, resist more because there are people who are getting to know us.” – Elsa from Yuturi Warmi

Community-led resistance tourism
As the president of Yuturi Warmi mentions, their dream is to develop a community-led tourism project. The community envisions building a lodge on the bank of the Jatunyacu River, on their communal land. They also wish to create a botanical garden around the lodge, where they would plant different medicinal and traditional plants and label them, in an effort to conserve and share their knowledge. On this land, they already started building a roofed space dedicated to the practice of the Wayusupina, a traditional early-morning tea ceremony important within the Amazonian Kichwa culture. They plan to finish the construction of this site to have a space where they can celebrate and practise different aspects of their culture, as well as simply meet with the guests. Moreover, the lodge would serve as a venue to sell their traditional handmade beaded jewellery and crafts. This project would provide them with an alternative source of income to destructive gold mining, which would not only help them fight extractivism but also share their culture with visitors.

However, this collective dream is no small task to achieve. Once the funds needed to develop the plans, buy the materials, and build the project are collected, efforts need to be continuous to ensure that the lodge thrives. Different challenges appear when introducing tourism as an alternative source of income. Tourism can be seen as an extractive activity that puts stress on the natural environment and can make local communities dependent on another volatile economic sector. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the touristic project is sustainable and based on the needs of the community. For example, a small-scale sustainable tourist project means limited numbers which means limited financial gains to support the related activities. It is also important that the women and the community itself retain ownership of the project. Although external investments can help fund the project, it can also shift control to other hands, like travel agencies. A monitoring system could be put in place to ensure the continuous sustainability of the project, and respond to emerging issues in a timely manner. Over-performativity and ‘selling’ one’s Kichwa culture and practices to entertain the foreigner’s eye, can also be viewed from a critical lens. The line is thin between the benefits that sharing and reproducing cultural practices can have for the preservation of indigenous knowledge, and its exaggeration to unrealistic standards which could provide a stereotypical and romanticised image of the community. Finally, as the area is surrounded by illegal mining activities, security concerns need to be evaluated, whether concerning the water contamination or the potential tensions with pro-mining groups in the region. 

A financially and informatively well-supported community resistance tourism project can not only allow the women of Yuturi Warmi and the Serena community to achieve their dream of self-subsistence and territorial protection, but also ensure their resilience and adaptivity in the face of such challenges.

The students started an ongoing crowdfunding to support Yuturi Warmi in their first steps towards the development of their dreamed community tourism project. Your contributions will support the organisation in their fight against the mines for the protection of their territory and the Amazon rainforest. The collected funds will support the construction of a tourist lodge, a botanical garden, and a traditional handicrafts shop.

Link to the crowdfunding: https://whydonate.com/en/fundraising/Yuturi-Warmi
For any questions, contact us at: margot.tjolle@hotmail.com

Right to Say No Tour Kick-Off

We are excited to invite you to the upcoming Right To Say No Tour Kick-Off event, taking place on March 15, 2024 (20h) in Ghent, at ‘De Kazematten’. At the Kick-Off event, we will welcome Carolina and Wilder, our guests from Colombia and, at the same time, we will celebrate CATAPA turning 20! This is an occasion you do not want to miss out on! This evening, we will travel to the village of Falan, Colombia through our guests’ stories of resistance against mining projects. This will be followed by a moment of exchange with drinks and refreshments. Take a look at our event and register here! We hope to see you soon!

*Carolina and Wilder will be with us for two weeks. Their days will be filled with awareness raising, networking and lobbying events. They are here to share their struggle against mining in Colombia and how standing up for their rights comes with the risk and fear of being intimidated, stigmatised and persecuted. During their visit, they will talk to students, the press, Belgian and international civil society organisations and interested citizens

Carolina and the Right to Say No

Carolina is an environmental defender from Falan, Colombia. She fights for the right to say no to extractivism and yes to a strong and resilient community. Along with Don Wilder she will tour Belgium this March during the Right to Say No Tour. Join the events to hear about the experiences of these environmental defenders, how our “green” trasition is impacting their lives and how degrowth might help their struggle.

My name is Carolina Monje and I am a land defender. To me, this place is not only a geographical space but a home that holds our history, culture and traditions. I defend our territory because I believe in the importance of preserving our identity and the legacy we have inherited from our ancestors. My role in defending the territory is multifaceted. Not only do I work to protect our common good and ensure environmental sustainability, but I also advocate for the rights of our communities. As an activist, I take on the responsibility of being the voice of those who cannot be heard, fighting for the right to say “yes” to a future that respects our needs and values. 

The right to say “yes” means empowerment for our community. I seek not only to preserve what we have, but also to ensure that we have the ability to decide our own destiny. I believe in self-determination and the importance of being the protagonists of our own history. Collaboration with activists from international organizations is crucial in our struggle/fight. Their support can help provide resources, visibility and diplomatic pressure to strengthen our position. Together we can build alliances that address the common challenges we face.

As I look to the future of our land, I see challenges, but also opportunities for positive change. I believe in the ability of the community and of activists and defenders to inspire meaningful transformations. With the continued support of international organizations and global awareness, I envision a future where our territory/land flourishes, protecting its cultural and natural richness for generations to come.

Public speaking workshop 1

Do you want to gain the skills and the confidence to represent CATAPA’s and your own opinions, knowledge and ideas in public? Do you want to be able to respond questions during an action or an event made by bystanders, press, or critical audience? Or be able to be a spokesperson in networks, conferences or gatherings?

Then join our free Public Speaking workshop.

You can choose to join one or both sessions, they are complementary.

Questions? Mail Catapista Robin
Interested? Fill out this form

Update: the threats towards Don Wilder’s family continue….

Earlier we shared the sad news that Johan Ferney Aguilar González was murdered on September 3rd. The day after, his father, don Wilder Antonio Aguilar Rodríguez, filed charges against the Canadian multinational Mirandagold for making threats directed at himself and his family. Wilder is the social leader of Vereda Santa Filomena, a community within the village of Falan in Colombia, which opposes mining in their habitat and is currently trying to stop the multinational’s exploratory works on their territory through legal procedures. 

Up until today no one has been charged for the murder. The investigation is still ongoing, but for the residents of Santa Filomena it is clear who is behind it. In an interview with Luis Carlos Barrero, a volunteer at our partner organization Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida de Tolima, Wilder talks about the impact of the murder on his family and his community. Which is of course huge. His family is torn apart by grief and there is a lot of fear in the community and far beyond. But despite it all, Wilder continues to fight for a better future for his community. Watch the interview below.

Interview Wilder

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Wilder again faced serious threats. His family is still not left alone. The Colombian government is clearly not doing enough to protect environmental and human rights defenders. Together with our partners, we demand that the national authorities and president Petro take urgent measures to protect the lives of Wilder and his family.

In Falan, like other parts of the country, defending one’s territory has become a high-risk activity. People can barely leave their homes and constantly feel unsafe. However, the right to life and defending one’s territory from outside threats are human rights.

The Colombian state has a duty to protect these freedoms of all Colombians. Read the denunciation of our partners and their demand for justice following the new threats here: Comunicado a la opinión pública (in Spanish).

Would you like to support communities like Falan?

Are you moved by what you read and wondering how you can contribute to this fight? One very real thing you can do today is making a donation to make the Right To Say No campaign!

Our donors supported a partner exchange week of CATAPA in the fall of 2023 in Ecuador. This was a week of knowledge, concrete practical skill and strategy sharing between affected communities on preventing mining projects from entering and on dealing with the impacts of the presence of mining companies on their lands. The gathering strengthened communities in their local fight and forces bonds and alliances that ensure a united struggle to protect their Right To Say No to mining in the Andes region.

Support the Right To Say No
campaign mural by Pamela Pinto

CATAPA celebrates the popular consultations in Ecuador

We are delighted to share the emphatic victories of the popular referendums in Ecuador. Last weekend’s consulta popular on the future of the Chocó Andino and Yasuní turned out to be a seismic event. The effort of local communities and campaigners led to results that demonstrate a path forward for popular democracy and the defence of culture and nature for generations to come across South America and the world.

In a truly landmark move, the people of Quito overwhelmingly voted to protect the Chocó Andino from metal mining – an average of 68% in favour of a future without mining across the four questions. In doing so, the people recognised the integrality of the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve – commonly known as ‘the lungs of Quito’ for sustaining life in the capital and beyond. The popularity of the Quito Sin Minería campaign demonstrates the support for an alternative vision for the area, based upon interdependence, respect and living in harmony with nature through a solidarity economy of agroecology and eco-tourism. 

The success (with 59% of the vote) of the Yasuní referendum, is the result of more than ten years of fighting by organisations and collectives such as Yasunidos across three governments to hold a popular consultation on the protection of the national park from oil extraction. 

Yasuní is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, and is home to the Waorani, as well as the Tagaeri and Taromenane – the last two remaining indigenous populations living in voluntary isolation in Ecuador. As a result of the consultation, Petroecuador will have one year to abandon oil extraction and leave the area. With this victory, the Ecuadorian people are paving the way forward for the popular defence of our planet against climate change, a path which we must all follow.

Both popular consultations were undeniably centred around an alternative vision for the organisation of Ecuadorian society and its relationship to nature. It would be a mistake to believe that the referendums solely fought for the democratic right of the people to say ‘No’ and reject extractivism. In reality, the campaigns also fought for their Right to Say ‘Yes’ to the Chocó Andino and Yasuní;  to protect traditions, cultures, economies, and ways of living in harmony with nature that have existed long before multinational corporations entered these areas against their will with a proposal of “development and progress” that is incapable of sustaining life.

As CATAPA, we recognise that the struggle to protect the Chocó Andino and Yasuní does not end with the results of the popular referendums. The government of Guillermo Lasso must comply with its constitutional obligations and respect the will of the Ecuadorian people by immediately putting into action the dismantling of operations in Block 43-ITT, Yasuní. We support the statement of Yasunidos and will be closely following the situation as it develops. 

We remain vigilant to ensure the will of the Ecuadorian people is respected and upheld, and that no mining or oil companies attempt to enter the regions and restart operations.

Would you like to contribute too?

Are you moved by what you read and wondering how you can contribute to this fight? One very real thing you can do today is making a donation to make the Right To Say No Andes gathering happen!

This gathering is the sixth edition of the partner exchange week of CATAPA  in the fall of 2023 in Ecuador: This is a week of knowledge, concrete practical skill and strategy sharing between affected communities on preventing mining projects from entering and on dealing with the impacts of the presence of mining companies on their lands. The gathering strengthens communities in their local fight and forces bonds and alliances that ensure a united struggle to protect their Right To Say No to mining in the Andes region.

Donate and support the Right To Say No
Campaigners & artists working on a mural © Pamela Pinto
Gold mining

How to convince a village to destroy their future: a 8 step manual

Multinational mining companies all over the world use similar strategies to convince communities to agree to their destructive extractive projects. Want to know their secrets?

We’re diving into the mining conflict currently occurring in the village of Falán, Colombia, where multinationals including Anglogold Ashanti are preparing the village for the mines they want to open there. The mining projects will have a devastating impact on the environment, access to potable water, agriculture in the region and the current and future potential of tourism.

So you can imagine, it’s a hard sell for the families living in the region. Like thousands of other communities in the world, the inhabitants of Falán are resisting the upcoming extractive projects in their region, protesting to preserve their right to clean water and a healthy living environment.

Since no informed person would like an open pit mine close to their home and it’s totally rightful for them to resist, it’s not always easy for multinationals to expand their businesses in other countries. But if you too are an unethical multinational mining corporation looking to devastate a local community and the surrounding natural area and propel the climate crisis and social injustice, look no further.

Read the 8 steps below for a handy guide to dividing communities, sparking conflict and creating the exact amount of chaos necessary for your project to proceed.

Step 1. Think about a suitable name for your destructive project

For obvious reasons, your company might have a bad reputation in the region you’re tearing up. Here’s a quick fix: just create a sub company with a different name! Yes, it is that easy.

Anglogold Ashanti is using this strategy all over Colombia, where a lot of communities resist the company coming to their neighbourhood because of its reputation in other regions.  Rather than waste time speculating on what that bad reputation might say about their business, they create sub-companies, with ambiguous legal ties, to start with the exploration phase in a certain region.

Take the case of Falán. In Falán a company named Miranda Gold is currently exploring the region, making holes 200 metres deep in the earth to check which mountains are ideal for gold extraction. Closer research strongly suggests that the company has ties with  (and may get their funding from) Anglogold Ashanti.

The name game doesn’t end there. Each mine has a name, and to properly hide the horrifying impact it’s having, use a name that has a certain historical, cultural or environmental value for the communities that will be affected. With the proper branding, people can drink any poison.

What always works is just using the name of the mountain, the lake or waterfall that will be ‘replaced’ by your destructive project. Like the La Colosa mining project in Cajamarca named after the La Colosa waterfall. So, you don’t have to be original. Cultural appropriation at its finest.

For another good practice in this field we can go back to Falán. The village is rightfully very proud of their natural reserve called Ciudad Perdida, or Lost City, in English, that next to hectares of beautiful nature and waterfalls also houses the ruins of two mining villages from the 16th century. It’s a very unique ecotourism attraction that’s famous in the wider region.

Along comes another company performing exploration for extraction in the village (and that now has formed an alliance with Miranda Gold) in a clear nod to continuing a legacy of devastation, chose the name Lost Cities SAS to obtain licences to start exploring for valuable minerals in the area. Job well done.

Step 2. Get the local government on your side

It’s important to have local authorities on your side. They have a lot of power and influence and can bend local procedures to your advantage and pave the way for you. So don’t be afraid of corruption and paying off politicians in charge.

How to do this? First, understand how federal governments work. The appeal of a multinational lies in neoliberalism. This means, countries are viewed as ‘poor and underdeveloped’ or ‘rich and developed’ in terms of resource consumption. Bringing multinationals from ‘rich’ countries to ‘poor’ ones, federal governments hope, will bring in profit through taxes.

Then, pay off the local politicians to agree and hand out licenses, but also to actively fight opponents of the projects with threats (see step 7). Play into the downfall of democracy: limited political terms means the same politicians agreeing to the projects are not the ones that will have to deal with the situation of water scarcity, contamination and poverty created by the mining projects in a certain amount of time.

Important point: make sure there’s no paper trail or legal basis holding you responsible for the impact of your project on the environment or human rights.

 

3. Lobby as much as possible to bend the law in your favour

Sometimes your destructive mining project might find itself facing pesky ‘legislation’ to defend the rights of communities to decide over their lands, or to protect the environment, or some such thing.

As someone interested in none of those things, now is the moment to form alliances with other multinationals. Take those funds – around the amount that would restore a significant area of the rainforest – and pour it into government lobbying to create legal loopholes for corporations. Behind closed doors, of course – wouldn’t want the public to know about this.

Take Colombia for example. In Colombia communities had the constitutional right to organise referendums and take decisions about their lands. Because of that law and lots of communities standing up for their rights, several mining projects were prevented from happening.

But thanks to a strong mining lobby, in 2018 the (unconstitutional) decision came that these referenda can’t be organised anymore for mining projects. Because that’s a matter of national interest, that transcends the stakes and interests of a local community. There have to be some sacrifice zones for others to live a wealthy lifestyle. Remember: good corporate lobbying doesn’t rely on logic or science.

Also locally there are often regulations and procedures that you have to take into account for the completion of your project and, if needed, bend to your advantage. In Colombia for example every municipality has a POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial) in which they decide for a certain amount of years what their land can be used for. The POT of Falán for example only allows agriculture and tourism. But luckily Anglogold has his friends within the city hall (see step 2) and they are currently working on revising the plan for mining to be added as a way of using the land.

 

4. Presents! Buy off public opinion

Presents. Always. Work. Especially in areas where the access to information about the impact of mining is limited, so these are the areas that are often easier to win over.

Remember to only give gifts that also benefit you, like promises to build better roads (that your company will need to transport the metals and minerals). Those are a win-win for everyone. When in doubt, just hand out money.

The saying goes ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’, so make sure your company and project name gets spread as much as possible. Children are our future leaders, don’t forget about them. They are also an easy means to, through their school, reach whole families.

Mirandagold (or should we say Anglogold? It’s hard to tell the difference) is champion in handing out gifts. In Falán there’s records of farmers getting machetes, food and money. They even created a special game for the children in Falán on the day of Halloween, through which they could win tablets! They handed out toys with their company logo to children through the local school. A great way to make some extra publicity. Who says love can’t be bought?

 

5. Create chaos and conflict, divide the community in two camps

So you gave out gifts, but probably didn’t win over everyone, right? Don’t worry. There’s other strategies that you can apply too. This is where the next step comes in: divide and conquer. Make sure there’s conflict between the groups in the communities. Feed that conflict. Use your imagination.

In Falán, Mirandagold fired 100 employees at the same time. All of them, coincidentally, were residents of the municipality and this happened, coincidentally, at a moment where protests against the mining project were heating up. This is a good way of showing families how dependent on the mining project lots of them are, and to feed resentment against those protestors portrayed as the cause of the dismissals. And if there are too many activists against the project, well, take a look at step number 7.

 

6. Prepare the local community well for a lack of access to potable water in the future

The impact of big scale mining on the water resources in the wider region is tremendous: water scarcity due to the huge demand of the extraction process, dried out lakes and rivers, contamination of rivers and ground water with heavy metals and toxic substances…

But of course, having access to sufficient and clean water is important for health, for agriculture, and for life in general. Local communities can’t drink gold. So if you’re planning to deprive a community of clean water, the trick is to prepare them ahead of time and disguise the link to the extractivist mining. This is a good moment to suddenly feign interest in climate change and shift responsibility there.

That’s exactly what happened in Falán. Recently, different regions have experienced a lack of water for up to five or six days at a time. The local government attributed the scarcity to  climate change. Which is weird, because it rains almost every day there, and a lot.

Also weird is that the companies that are exploring in the region (and need a lot of water for that) continue to have water for their operations, they don’t experience the same inconveniences as the inhabitants.

 

7. Threats are effective deterrents

Struggling with these do-gooder environmentalists fighting your development project? Why listen when actions speak louder than words?

Threaten them. Go by their houses, let them know you know where they live. ‘Reason’ with them. Preferably accompanied by a large group of intimidating-looking men. Focus on the leaders of the struggle. Scaring people works. Especially in Colombia, since it’s one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights defenders. Last year 186 were killed, which is almost half of the global total registered number.

In Falán, people received intimidating visits from workers of the mining company and even death threats. For that last one the pro-mining local government even sent the police (and true to the previous steps, despite the clear benefit this brings to MirandaGold, the lack of paper trail makes it impossible to prove a connection).

 

8. Having wreaked havoc, now frame it as a successful story of ‘growth’

Effective communication to portray yourself as a hero means a lot of empty keywords. Describe your project in terms of ‘growth’ and ‘development’. Because who doesn’t want growth and development? Those words mean prosperity, welfare and jobs – right? Just don’t mention anything about the disastrous effects of unchecked growth for both people and the planet. And obviously no need to mention that the prosperity and income from said corporate growth aren’t meant for the local community or those poorer countries. Regardless of how it is shared, communicate that obviously a bigger cake is always desirable. Certainly omit to mention that you got out of paying most of the taxes required of multinationals. And avoid putting emphasis on the fact that the jobs are short term, while the environmental damage is forever.

 

Now it’s up to you

With these steps for success, you will push through your big scale destructive mining project in no time. Let us know if there’s other tactics we should add to the list!

 

Changed your mind about wanting an extractivist mining project? Join us in the struggle to end them.

Corruption, abuse of power, threats, Trojan horses, what is happening in Falán is also happening all over the world.

But resistance is strong. Communities are resisting and fighting for a better world for themselves, their children and for future generations. The inhabitants of Falán are ready to take action and have alternative plans for the future of their village.

Follow Colectivo Ambiental Falán y Frías and Catapa (Instagram/Facebook) to keep up to date on the situation in Falán and other struggles against mining multinationals. You can also join the Catapista volunteer movement and take up an active role in the strive towards a society within the boundaries of both people and planet, towards a world in which mining is no longer necessary.

There is also a new campaign launched by the Network of Persons Affected By Anglogold to denounce and unmask the unethical and violent behaviour of the multinational and demand that they leave Colombian territory. In a web series called ‘Historias Quebradas’ they unveil the malpractices and secrets of Anglogold Ashanti in Colombia. Check out their website and discover how you can support them!

 

This article is the result of a research project conducted by volunteers from CATAPA’s study and lobby working group in collaboration with Colectivo Ambiental Falán y Frías.

Help us make the Right To Say No Andes Gathering happen!

We are planning the sixth edition of the partner exchange week of CATAPA in the fall of 2023 in the Chocó Andino region (Ecuador). From past editions we strongly believe in the added value and the importance of exchange and encounters for our partners. Gatherings like these are one of the essential ways for communities to develop ways to stop mining by 2030.

During the exchange week of 2023 we will focus on the Right To Say No in the Andes region.

Thanks to the shared knowledges and strategies on preventing mining projects from entering, and on dealing with the impacts of the presence of mining companies on their lands. Participants leave with a broader geopolitical view, new ideas and possible actions for their resistance as well as for their permanence in their region, shared solidarity for the anti-mining struggles in the Andes region and renewed energy and inspiration to continue their fight.

You can help us make this gathering happen. 

You can help us make this gathering happen

To be able to cover the transport costs, the work of our hosting organisation and the accommodation and food, funds are needed. We are grateful for any financial support possible you could give us.

We welcome donations to the bank account BE49 9795 2861 7871 with subject  ‘RTSN GATHERING ‘23.

If you are donating in Belgium, donations from € 40 and higher are tax deductible.

Do you want more information on the gathering before you donate? Click here!