Sri Lanka: crisis de endeudamiento y el colapso de una nación

A statement by Hemantha Withanage, President of Friends of the Earth International, analyzing the systemic collapse of Sri Lanka in 2022. The document attributes the nation's political instability, economic bankruptcy, and humanitarian crisis to a neoliberal, undemocratic regime led by the Rajapaksa family, characterized by corruption, illegitimate debt accumulation, and failed environmental and agricultural policies.

• The Rajapaksa family operated an oligarchic regime that controlled up to 70% of the national budget and was accused of corruption and diverting public funds to invest in other countries, including Australia, Dubai, Seychelles, and Uganda.
• Sri Lanka faced a severe debt crisis, becoming a bankrupt nation in May 2022. The country owes over $51 billion to foreign lenders, including $6.5 billion to China, with 78% of the total debt accumulated during the Rajapaksa regime.
• A sudden ban on chemical fertilizers in May 2021, intended to shift the country toward agroecological farming without supporting measures, led to a collapse in agricultural productivity, soaring food prices, and increased hunger.
• The energy sector suffered a collapse due to a lack of foreign currency reserves to import fossil fuels, resulting in deaths, gas explosions, and daily power cuts of 3-4 hours. The document notes a 'coal mafia' and political resistance that has blocked the transition to renewable energy despite a goal of 70% renewables by 2030.
• Corruption is linked to several large-scale infrastructure projects: the Colombo Port City, the Hambantota port (leased to China for 99 years), and the Uma Oya river diversion project, the latter of which caused tunnel collapses and destroyed farmland in Bandararawela.
• The economic collapse triggered a humanitarian crisis where approximately 5.7 million people require immediate assistance. A Save the Children survey found that over two-thirds of families lack sufficient food and 85% of households have lost income.
• The document criticizes a proposed 'debt-for-nature swap' by The Nature Conservancy, which would involve selling biodiversity and carbon bonds to corporations like Coca Cola, describing it as a 'false solution' and the 'financialization of nature'.

APA

Withanage, H. (2022). Sri Lanka: crisis de endeudamiento y el colapso de una nación. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/es/sri-lanka-crisis-de-endeudamiento-y-el-colapso-de-una-nacion/

Chicago

Withanage, Hemantha. Sri Lanka: crisis de endeudamiento y el colapso de una nación. Friends of the Earth International, 2022. https://www.foei.org/es/sri-lanka-crisis-de-endeudamiento-y-el-colapso-de-una-nacion/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Withanage |first1=Hemantha |title=Sri Lanka: crisis de endeudamiento y el colapso de una nación |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=29 July 2022 |url=https://www.foei.org/es/sri-lanka-crisis-de-endeudamiento-y-el-colapso-de-una-nacion/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{withanage2022sri, author = {Withanage, Hemantha}, title = {{Sri Lanka: crisis de endeudamiento y el colapso de una nación}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2022}, month = jul, url = {https://www.foei.org/es/sri-lanka-crisis-de-endeudamiento-y-el-colapso-de-una-nacion/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }