holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso

This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the environmental and social impacts of the Swiss multinational cement company Holcim in Latin America. It focuses on case studies in Guatemala, Colombia, and Mexico, alleging that the company's mining and waste incineration practices cause severe pollution, health crises, and human rights violations, often with the complicity of national governments.

• Holcim utilizes a controversial process called 'co-incineration' or 'co-processing,' which involves burning waste materials—such as used tires, plastic, and toxic residues—as fuel in cement kilns. While the company claims this reduces fossil fuel use, critics argue it risks releasing highly aggressive anthropogenic organic pollutants, specifically dioxins and furans.
• In San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, Holcim's subsidiary Cementos Progreso is accused of violating the rights of approximately 9,000 Maya Kaqchikel people. The report alleges that the state has prioritized the company over community rights, leading to the criminalization of protesters, the assassination of community leaders, and the disregard for prior consultation requirements under ILO Convention 169.
• In Bogotá, Colombia, Holcim's open-pit mining activities along the Tunjuelo River have caused irreversible loss of nutrient-rich soils and damaged a critical aquifer. The report claims these activities have led to land instability, causing landslides that destroyed homes in the Villa Jackie neighborhood in 2009, and have contaminated the river, turning it into a source of disease.
• In Mexico, Holcim Apasco is identified as one of the country's top polluters, emitting over 5 million tons of CO2 annually. The report suggests official figures may be underestimated and highlights a severe health crisis in the Tula-Tepeji-Apaxco corridor, where the subsidiary Ecoltec has released neurotoxic acrylates, causing acute intoxication and severe memory impairment in local children.
• The report argues that Holcim benefits from a 'double condition' in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico by operating as both a transnational and a national company through subsidiaries. This allows it to access international legal protections and tax breaks (such as those provided under the Uribe administration in Colombia) while simultaneously benefiting from flexible national environmental regulations, such as those in the Kyoto Protocol.
• Holcim is accused of using 'greenwashing' and 'blue washing' strategies to mask its environmental impact. This includes creating the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction and sponsoring the Holcim Awards to gain influence with academia and architects, while continuing high-emission operations.
• In 2010, the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (TPP) in Madrid condemned Holcim for its 'immoral and unlawful' practices. The tribunal found the company responsible for an environmental and social debt in Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, citing human rights violations and the destruction of vital resources.
• The report claims that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Investment Chapters, such as CAFTA and NAFTA, facilitate the monopolization of the cement business by transnationals like Holcim. These agreements are said to restrict the ability of national governments to direct investment toward national development goals and allow companies to sue states through the World Bank's ICSID.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2011). holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HOLCIM-EN-AMERICA-LATINA-Estudios-de-caso.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso. 2011. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HOLCIM-EN-AMERICA-LATINA-Estudios-de-caso.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso |date=February 2011 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HOLCIM-EN-AMERICA-LATINA-Estudios-de-caso.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2011holcim, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2011}, month = feb, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/HOLCIM-EN-AMERICA-LATINA-Estudios-de-caso.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }