Illegal mining rife in Colombia

Comptroller of Bogotá this week uncovered the full scale of illegal mining in Colombia, revealing that 100 of the 108 mines operating in the District Capital do so outside the legal framework.

This news comes on the back of analysis by Colombia´s Comptroller General which shows that of the 14,357 mines active in Colombia (2010-11), as few as 5,316 are legally registered and of these just 2,809 had environmental clearance from the government.

In Bogotá alone, more than 826,000 residents live with the high levels of dust emissions and toxic fumes associated with this activity.

Illegal mining is common to many countries in South America, causing widespread environmental damage (water pollution, destruction of ecosystems and deforestation) and knock on social effects such as child labour.

In Colombia, illegal mining is also a significant revenue source for armed groups. According to a recent study by the Toledo International Centre for Peace, illegal gold mining has in some areas become a greater source of income for the FARC and the ELN than coca production.

President Juan Manuel Santos last week unveiled a bill to make illegal mining a punishable crime. Santos hopes the bill will cut the armed groups off at the roots, preventing investment in the heavy machinery used in mining operations. Measures include government powers to destroy confiscated equipment and to monitor and restrict imports.

The initiatives have been met with unease by the Confederation of Colombian Miners though, whose president expressed concern at the failure to distinguish between traditional, informal mining and that carried out by armed groups. The Confederation is lobbying to encourage the government to assist legitimate, informal miners to become legitimate, and to help draw the line between these two groups.

Former minister of the environment and academic, Manuel Rodriguez Becerra added that the government had “accelerated the mining locomotive” in recent years in spite of the history of violence and rural conflict surrounding the industry.

Mining is one of the Santos administration´s key engines of growth, but it  continues to generate controversy. In September, the government announced the extension of the Cerro Matoso SA contract until 2029 (Cerro Matoso is a subsidiary of Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton). The Cerro Matoso contract has been widely attacked as offering a poor deal for Colombia. opponents claim economic growth must not come without community and national benefits.