holcim en américa latina: estudios de caso

The report documents the negative impacts of Holcim's cement and mining activities in Latin America, focusing on the destruction of aquifers and landscapes, air pollution, and health crises. It highlights the use of 'co-processing' to incinerate hazardous waste and criticizes the role of Free Trade Agreements and international arbitration (CIADI) in protecting corporate interests over community rights. Specific cases include the criminalization of Maya Kaqchikel communities in Guatemala, the degradation of the Tunjuelo River in Bogotá, and neurotoxic acrylates emissions in Mexico. The document concludes by detailing a 2010 complaint filed against Holcim at the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal in Madrid.

• Holcim utilizes a controversial process called 'co-processing' or 'co-incineration,' which involves burning waste materials such as used tires, plastic, and toxic residues as fuel in cement kilns to reduce fossil fuel costs, posing a risk of releasing highly toxic dioxins and furans.
• In San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, Holcim's subsidiary Cementos Progreso is accused of causing respiratory illnesses and destroying flower crops due to dust from mining, while the state has responded with repression, including the assassination of community leaders and the imprisonment of activists.
• In Bogotá, Colombia, Holcim's open-pit mining along the Tunjuelo River has caused irreversible loss of nutrient-rich soils, damaged the city's primary aquifer, and created unstable slopes that have led to the disappearance of neighborhoods like Villa Jackie.
• Holcim Apasco in Mexico is identified as one of the country's top polluters, emitting over 5 million tons of CO2 annually. Its subsidiary, Ecoltec, has caused acute intoxication in the Tula-Tepeji-Apaxco region through the release of acrylates, a neurotoxin that has severely affected the memory and mental functions of local children.
• The report argues that Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Investment Chapters, and the World Bank's ICSID (CIADI) provide legal shields for transnationals, allowing them to sue states for 'indirect expropriation' when environmental or health regulations affect their profits.
• In 2010, the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (TPP) in Madrid condemned Holcim for its responsibility in creating an 'environmental and social debt' in Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, citing violations of human rights and the destruction of vital resources.

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} }