Colombians in Santander Vote to Cancel Mining Initiative

A resounding vote against oil exploration and mining from city residents in Santander, Colombia has shut down the initiative in that municipality.

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As the results arrived from the four polling stations in Jesus Maria, 1,782 of the 3,259 eligible citizens participated in Sunday’s vote, with an astounding 1,677 residents stating their disapproval of the mining of limestone and coal in the city, while only 22 supported it.

"In order to reach the threshold required by Law 1757 of 2015, the participation of at least 1,087 citizens was required. According to the pre-count, 1,699 valid votes were registered, representing more than a third of the electoral census, "said National Registrar Juan Carlos Galindo Vácha.

Jesus Maria has six mining titles for limestone, oil and coal exploration, however city was the first in the region to invite its residents to participate in the decision. Citizens participated in defense of the area’s lush ecosystem, it’s environment and tributaries.

Reports from the Ministry of Mines and Energy show Colombians fighting back against the constant exploitation of natural resources by third parties and have shut down 15 initiatives for exploitation of hydrocarbons and 26 more for mining nationwide.

Other municipalities in the Santander region are adopting the initiative, with similar elections scheduled in San Vicente de Chucuri, El Carmen de Chucurí, Pinchote and San Gil.

A recent study from the Hombolt Institute at Javeriana University in Bogota, Colombia, called the “Red List of Ecosystems of Colombia,” warned that Nearly half of the various ecosystems found in Colombia, one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, are at severe risk of collapsing.

The results of the study gave a dire picture; of the 81 ecosystems identified by researchers, 46 percent of them were categorized as either “endangered,” or “critically endangered.”

The Humboldt Institute argues that while much research and government environmental policy focuses on individual species of plants and animals that are in danger, it is just as important, if not more important to emphasize the safety of entire ecosystems from a more systemic perspective.

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The victory won by Colombians in their fight for environment preservation holds greater significance when considering the rocky history suffered by the nation’s environmentalists.

According to a report from the advocacy group, Front Line Defenders, Colombia was registered in 2016 as Latin America’s most dangerous country for human rights activists.

At least 45 percent of the activists killed were linked to the defense of the environment, land and Indigenous people’s rights. Others include people working on corruption, journalists, and others who used the media to denounce abuses, the report says.