Internationalist Solidarity with the communities of Santander, Colombia

Friends of the Earth International expresses solidarity with communities in Santander, Colombia, who are protesting an open-pit coal mine project by the French company Colcco S.A. and facing threats from armed groups.

• Since 9 January 2023, residents of the Barrancabermeja, San Vicente and Carmen de Chucurí municipalities in the Magdalena Medio region of Santander have protested to revoke an environmental licence granted to the French mining company Colcco S.A. for a 30-year open-pit coal mine. Although the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development announced on 25 January that it would start the revocation process, no concrete action has been taken.
• Environmental leaders and protesters are facing intimidation, surveillance, and threats. Specifically, the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC), also known as Clan del Golfo, has used videos and pamphlets to label those mobilising against the mining project as military targets.
• Friends of the Earth International calls on the Colombian National Government, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ombudsman’s Office to protect nature defenders and prosecute those responsible for the threats and terror used to protect extractive projects.

APA

Prak, C. (2023). Internationalist Solidarity with the communities of Santander, Colombia. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/coal-mining-in-colombia-solidarity/

Chicago

Prak, Caroline. Internationalist Solidarity with the communities of Santander, Colombia. Friends of the Earth International, 2023. https://www.foei.org/coal-mining-in-colombia-solidarity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Prak |first1=Caroline |title=Internationalist Solidarity with the communities of Santander, Colombia |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=6 February 2023 |url=https://www.foei.org/coal-mining-in-colombia-solidarity/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{prak2023internationalist, author = {Prak, Caroline}, title = {{Internationalist Solidarity with the communities of Santander, Colombia}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/coal-mining-in-colombia-solidarity/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }