Mining fever: a locomotive out of control

Essay proposal:

Rationale

Has improved security ever been so dangerous for a country? In Colombia, recent government efforts have significantly reduced dangerous guerrilla group activities (Santos 2011 a,b). Security levels have subsequently increased, leading to a new wave of economic development. The opportunity has not passed unnoticed to large international mining conglomerates that are now more than ever determined to “share” the benefits of the new state of affairs.

While most Latin American nations have slowly been deprived of their mining resources, Colombia has remained largely untouched due to its inherent instability, which has acted as a deterrent for international investors. Although the country is home to one of the largest coal mines in the world (El Cerrejon, in Guajira), mining operations for precious metals have remained for the most part a traditional activity with low levels of environmental and social impact.

Acknowledging the improved economic conditions, the new National Plan for the Development of Colombia (2010-2014) is placing special interest in the development of the mining sector (DNP 2010). Notwithstanding the presence of national parks, indigenous reserves or small-scale traditional mining activities, close to 9,000 mining concessions have now been granted to international companies (Ronderos 2011). This process has been accompanied by various legal and structural adjustments, raising questions about: the legality of land transfers and operations; the potential threats to the environment; and the social impacts to affected communities.

Most sociologists and environmental economists would agree that mining operations of the sort developed in Latin America leave the countries impoverished and with extensive environmental degradation (Alier 2011, Svampa 2011). Yet we see fast expansion in the domestic export of mining products, especially gold, silver and other precious metals (Vallejo 2011). Why is the Colombian government so eager to follow the path that has caused so much destruction and pain in other Latin American communities? Are the communities benefiting and if not, who is?

Aims and objectives

This essay attempts to provide an analysis of the actors and socio-economic processes that have led to current mining conflicts in Colombia, focusing on three main questions:

1. What are the government arguments to support the expansion of the mining sector and which initiatives has it endorsed to favour international large-scale mining conglomerates?

2. Who will benefits from these operations and through which processes?

3. What will be the impact of these operations to indigenous communities and the environment?

Methodology

By using ways of enquiry offered in political ecology, this research examines the politic and economic processes underpinning large-scale mining in Colombia, focusing on its social and environmental impacts. In order to accomplish this task, I will apply various instruments and make use of mixed sources of information including:

• Recent documentaries and published interviews released in the media;
• Semi-structured interviews targeted at journalist and analysts that have followed the issue over the past year;
• Undertaking a GIS analysis to quantify the potential impact of mining concessions in indigenous areas and on natural protected zones (depending on GIS data availability);
• Investigation of level of coverage of the issue in national journals and identification through a review of the grey literature of the main players and processes set in place for the expansion of the mining sector.

The essay will progress as follows:

• Short introduction to mining in Latin America. Case study of the impacts of coal mining to wayuu communities in Colombia.
• Analysis of the national trends in mining concessions and socio-economic forces triggering the expansion of the mining sector.
• Case study of the conflict between Ashanti Gold and the community of Cajamarca.

Literature cited

Alier, J.M. 2011, “Contravía-La locomotora minera en Colombia”. Interview with Joan Martínez Alier, [on-line resource]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n14sBs_RmaI

Ronderos, M.T. 2011, “La fiebre minera se apoderó de Colombia”, CIPER, [on-line resource]: http://ciperchile.cl/2011/09/05/la-fiebre-minera-se-apodero-de-colombia/

Santos, J.M. 2011 a, Presidential press release November 30, [on-line resource]: http://wsp.presidencia.gov.co/Prensa/2011/Noviembre/Paginas/20111130_21.aspx

Santos, J.M. 2011 b, Presidential press release December 7, [on-line resource]: http://wsp.presidencia.gov.co/Prensa/2011/Diciembre/Paginas/20111207_01.aspx

Svampa, M. 2011, “El modelo minero a gran escala ademas de causar miseria atenta contra la democracia y los derechos humanos en Latin America”, Interview with Fernando Arellano Ortiz [on-line resource]: http://smpmanizales.blogspot.es/1322741460/

Vallejo, M. C., M. A. Pérez Rincón, et al. (2011). "Metabolic Profile of the Colombian Economy from 1970 to 2007." Journal of Industrial Ecology 15(2): 245-267.