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!

Falán: the village in Colombia where the colonial era keeps on recurring

Losing the fight against mining would mean… displacement, death, it would be turning the mountains inside out. It would be the disappearance of the ancestral oral culture. It would put many people in a very bad scenario, people fighting for their survival, for where they live. It would be… to lose the Magdalena River, it would be to lose the Gualí River, it would be to lose endemic species – the frog, the orchid. People would be left with nothing. The people, the animals, the forest… It would be to lose… to lose… to lose it all. To lose it all. – Osiris Ocampo, Falán –

 

It all started some 400 years ago, when the Spanish discovered valuable metals in the mountains of what is now Falán, a Colombian village of 8,000 inhabitants. They opened mines with the aim of exporting as much gold as possible to Europe. These mines were exploited by colonial rule for hundreds of years, after which they were still managed by the British from 1890-1920. The impact on the local community and ecology were what is commonly known of mining: pollution, social disruption and poverty. There is (sadly) more gold to be discovered in Falán’s territory. Three multinationals are hoping to start their projects soon. This time via open pit mining, a form of extraction with much more social and environmental impact than the previous underground mining projects by the Spanish and the British. But resistance is strong. If it were up to the environmentalists in Falán, these projects would not go ahead and the colonization of Falán would stop right now.

 

The Lost City – a memory of Spanish colonization

Anyone who has heard of the village of Falán, located in the north of Tolima province, Colombia, probably also knows their Ciudad Perdida, or the Lost City. This is the village’s main tourist attraction where you can discover a beautiful piece of nature by foot, ziplining or wall-climbing. Definitely worth a visit!

But the place has a dark past. You can visit ruins of the Santa Ana gold and silver mines and the adjacent village, both of which saw the light of day during theSpanish colonization in the 17th century. The territory was previously populated by indigenous communities, who were driven out of their territories or employed in the mines after the arrival of the Spanish. The mines were the direct property of the king of Spain, who called for the implementation of the projects and received the mined gold and silver with open arms. In Falán, on the other hand, both the indigenous community and a beautiful piece of nature were wiped off the map. This was the start of a colonial period that continues today.

The village of Santa Ana (now Falán) was founded, and inhabited by Spanish mining workers, and over many decades kilometers of tunnels were dug into the mountains in search of high concentrations of gold and silver.

 

Recession after English mines

After the war of independence, the concessions for the mines were given to British companies and operated again for decades, until the 1920s. At various sites in Falán and Frías (a municipal district attached to Falán), old mines were reactivated and new ones opened. Miles of new tunnels were dug in the mountains to engage in underground mining.

The inhabitants of Falán and Frías do not keep fond memories of this period. The stories that come back include dead ‘quebradas’, which are gorges between two mountains through which a water source runs. Due to pollution and water consumption from British mines 100 years ago, animal life is barely detectable in those places today.

Another story that recurs again and again is the story of economic recession and social problems as a result of mining. After the companies decided to stop mining for not being profitable enough, the entire village went through a difficult period. After 40 years of mining, the inhabitants had become very dependent on mining and therefore a sudden closure was accompanied by recession and social disruption. Temporary economic growth and job opportunities in the region were quickly exchanged for a long period of poverty and economic recovery. Those are the stories that still circulate in the village, where the vast majority of residents now depend again on agriculture. This is a slightly more stable form of income, but the region still suffers from a high poverty rate.

Moreover, because of this strong agricultural history, the inhabitants of Falán and Frías do not see themselves as miners – after all, the mines were always colonial and managed by occupiers. Just like the colonial period 400 years earlier, the exploitation of foreign mining companies brought a lot of problems to Falán. The mined gold was exported, while they left the impacts in Colombia. This shows striking similarities with the Spanish colonisation 400 years earlier.

 

A neoliberal course

More recently, Colombian economic policies and specifically changes in land-use policies are also indicative of the livelihoods and well-being of rural farmers today. Historically, the vast majority of Colombia’s population has been campesinos or farmers living off agriculture, cattle ranching, fishing, or artisanal mining, settled in remote and often hard-to-reach places in relatively autonomous communities. Since the 1950s, Colombian economic policy has focused on shaping the economy more ‘effectively’ by driving peasant families off their land so that large industrial farms and (more recently) monocultures can take their place. The history of this economic policy is bloody. Many campesinos were driven out or killed so that their land would become available. In addition, this economic policy was one of the causes of the protracted civil war, and many campesinos were victims of the violence between the guerrillas and the state. Many were dispossessed of their land and their lives in the countryside.

In the 1990s and 2000s, under pressure from international organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Colombia’s economy (and mining sector) was neoliberalised. Companies were privatised, regulations weakened, and the sector opened up to the international free-market economy. As in the rest of South America, and many other ‘poor’ or ‘underdeveloped’ countries, extraction was henceforth done by multinational companies from ‘rich’ countries. They pocket by far most of the profits, pay little tax to the Colombian state (which should lead to ‘development’), while the local population is merely left with the immense environmental, social and economic impact, with no say in their own future. International neoliberal policies, and consequently the arrival of multinational mining companies, is another chapter in the long history of imperialism that dispossessed peasants of their land, and destroyed their economic resources, health, peace, and lives.

 

Colonisation in the year 2023

The story is not over yet. Once again, there is interest from other countries in the territory. Three multinationals were granted permits to explore 36,000 hectares for precious metals. This time with the aim of starting open pit mining, a form of extraction that is many times more disruptive to the wider region than the underground tunnel mining that previously took place in Falán. This is because in this type of mining, as the name insinuates, the entire mountain, including the ecosystem, is transformed into a ‘pit’ – a large dead hole where there used to be life. It also requires an enormous amount of water, uses a large amount of hazardous chemicals, and creates a lot of toxic waste.

Cerro de Pasco mine, Peru ©Simon Lenskens

Among the Falán residents there are justified concerns. Exploration alone raises concerns, as this involves drilling holes 200 metres deep into the ground in the wider area, affecting underground water flows and disrupting life on land. In Líbano, a village some 25km southwest of Falán, many farmers were forced to leave after the opening of the mine led to water scarcity. For a community largely dependent on agriculture, water and healthy soil are recurring concerns. Proud farmers talk about how fertile the soil is in this region, and how much of a future there is for, for example, organic farming of cocoa, coffee, guanabana, maís, yuca, avocado, … The list is endless. For many, being a farmer is not just a profession, but an identity and a way of life. What is threatened by mining exploration is not just their source of income, but the way of life they have built in and with their land. What is threatened is their home, and who they are.

They also express concerns for biodiversity. The area of Falán contains special animal species that are only found in that region, including some bird species and also the ‘rana morada’ or purple frog. The loss of these species, and so too any species that have not yet been discovered, is also a driver of protest. All these reasons come together. The concerns for water and healthy soil needed for their production, the development of an economic dependency, the disruption of biodiversity, and the destruction of their beautiful habitat are summed up in the words of Osiris Ocampo from Falán. “I think the main reason [for resistance] is love. The love for the territory”.

 

A divided people

However, not everyone in Falán is concerned. Small-scale agricultural practices do not earn a lot of money in Colombia, prices of fruits and vegetables are low while growing them involves hard work. Farmers are also highly taxed and receive no support from the government. These factors, together with the high poverty rate, makes many look forward to the new job opportunities that companies promise them.

In vereda Cabandia (a vereda is a district within a municipality) for example environmentalists Damaris and Nicolas stand alone in their fight against the impending projects. They attribute their neighbours’ support to successful bribery practices by the companies on the one hand, but also the low level of education and lack of access to information on the impact of mining. Their vereda is furthest away from the village center where the local school is located. Therefore, many children do not attend school and education levels are in general very low there.

But there are other veredas, such as vereda Santa Filimena, which chose to not support mining. No family there gives permission to the companies to drill holes on their land, and collectively they agreed not to work for the mining companies, who already recruit several residents for the exploration work they’re currently performing.

 

Propaganda in the backpack

However, the propaganda machine is running at full speed. The mining companies in Falán go far in convincing the population of their projects. Multinational Mirandagold is the front-runner in Falán regarding bribery strategies. Farmers there have already been given machetes, food and money as gifts. The company also donated an ambulance to the local hospital. They even created a special game for the children in Falán on Halloween, through which they could win tablets. The company sponsors festivals, Christmas lights and fun activities. Other children were given toys with the company logo in their backpack through the school. And the management of the Cuidad Perdida reserve reveived gifts such as liquor, food, and invitations to meetings with people in charge of the project. However, they did not allow themselves to be bribed and declined the offer. A company that goes to such lengths to convince the population seems to be hiding something sinister… Read more about strategies used by mining companies to push through their projects here.

 

Resistance and alternatives

But the Falánese will not let themselves be defeted! Supported by the Colectivo Ambiental Falán y Frías and the regional Committee Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida, protests are organised regularly. Despite of intimidation and threats. Several protesters already received intimidating visits from employees of the multinationals, and one of them was even threatened with death by the local police after participating in a protest. But even that does not stop them. Among the activists, it sounds unequivocal: we don’t want to repeat Falán’s history again.

Protest action in vereda Cavandia ©Damaris Perdomo

They envisage a very different kind of Falán. A Falán where mining can only be seen in the colonial ruins in the Cuidad Perdida. Where ecotourism flourishes and agriculture is reappraised.

 

What next?

What’s next? The next municipal elections will matter. Only one candidate, Miguel Rubio, is outspoken against the mining projects. Through his own social media channels, he has been protesting against the emerging plans and raising awareness about the impact of mining for years. So the elections in October will be decisive.

What Falán currently needs, according to Luis Barreto Jimenez of the local environmental committee, can be summed up in three words: organisation, education and campaigning. ‘We need to organise and unify the detached environmentalists and send correct information about the impact of mining Falán and Frías through streamlined campaigns, to counter the companies’ propaganda machines.’

Luis Barreto Jimenez in Ciudad Perdida ©CATAPA

This is currently being in process! Together with Catapa, for example, funds are being raised to work on this on a project-by-project basis. The battle is not over yet!

 

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

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

Mining multinational AngloGold Ashanti unmasked during carnival in Ibagué, Colombia

For the 14th time already the Marcha Carnaval took place in Ibagué last Friday. It’s a festivity, but at the same time a manifestation, for the defense of life, water and other natural resources. Our partner organisation Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida, together with other environmental collectives, mobilises for the march and year after year ten of thousands of people take part to show their peaceful opposition to the destruction and contamination of their territory.

These environmental marches in Ibagué are known to be the biggest ones in Colombia. It all started in 2007, when it was announced that the biggest goldmine in the province was going to be opened up in Cajamarca: the La Colosa mine, a project of multinational Anglogold. Thanks to a strong opposition from locals the mining project was luckily dismissed. But the same multinational continues to carry out other extractive projects in the region, often disguised underneath other company names because of their bad reputation. That’s why everywhere in the march you could see ‘Quita la mascara’ or ‘Remove the mask’, the central slogan of the newly launched campaign ‘Anglogold Nos Toca’ (Anglogold touches us).

The campaign was launched this month by the Network of Persons Affected By Anglogold (la Red de Personas Afectadas por AngloGold) to denounce and unmask the unethical and violent behavior of the multinational and to demand that they leave Colombian territory. In a web series with the name ‘Historias Quebradas’ they unveil the malpractices and secrecies of Anglogold in Colombia. With ‘Fuera Anglogold’ or ‘Anglogold out’ the manifestants regularly made clear last Friday that the company no longer is welcome on their territory.

With music, art, parades and costumes students, unions, collectives and all kind of political and social organisations of the whole region of Tolima showed their resistance against mining and fracking in their region. Manifestation and fighting for their right to say no to destructive projects, uniting all of those who believe that water is more important than gold.