Session 1, International Forum for Coal regions in Transition

2. .
DIANA MARCELA ALVAREZ ROJAS
Professional in Government and International Relations International Relations from
the Universidad Externado de Colombia. Master in Development Studies and
Management, Universidad de la Salle. Candidate in Law from the Universidad Libre
de Colombia.
Human Rights defender and environmentalist at heart, with more than 10 years of
experience working with ethnic communities in the 6 Amazonian departments, among
other regions, from where she obtained a vision in which Western Law and the
ancestral view of the territories converge, generating synergies for the development of
the communities. generating synergies for the defense of human rights and the
environment.
She currently serves as Director of the Center for Social Justice Studies Tierra Digna,
an environmental and human rights organization that has been defending life, territory
and spirituality in Colombia for more than 13 years, accompanying ethnic, Afro-
descendant and peasant communities in the Amazon, Chocó, Caribbean and Huila
regions. Among its great achievements is being the organization that promoted the
recognition of the first river with rights in Latin America - Rio Atrato - and the third in
the world. As well as the first table for just transition and territorial defense, through
judicial litigation, in which the communities of the mining corridor (Departments of
Cesar and Magdalena), the national government and the company Prodeco/Glencore
have a seat.

3. CONTEXT: COAL MINING IN
CESAR AND MAGDALENA

4. 1975: Opening of the first
large-scale coal mine in
Colombia, Cerrejón in the
department of La Guajira.
1985: Arrival ofthe first mine
in the department of Cesar by
the Drummondt company.
1992 –1994: Vast political
violence affects the departments
ofCesar and Magdalena inthe
areas that will bedestined for
mining exploitation. Thousands
ofpeople were murdered by
armed groups and there was a
large displacement ofland
1995: Glencore acquires
Prodeco (including Puerto
Zúñiga, the Calenturitas mine
and the La Jagua
Mine
1996: Glencore acquires the
Cerrejón Central mine.The
central area of Cesar and
Magdalena are beginning to
experience the impacts of
mining operations
2009:After a judicial order, the
coal ports are transferred from
the Bay of Santa Marta to
Ciénaga, given the oceanic
contamination that was taking
place.
2010: The first resettlements
in the mining zone began due
to atmospheric contamination
by coal dust (Boquerón –
Hatillo and Plan Bonito)
2013: Puerto Nuevo began
operations with the direct loading
system andthe Ciénaga
Grande del Magdalena was
impacted, aunique ecosystem
inthe world where several
artisanal fishermen could not
continue exercising their activity.
2016: TheState approved the
mining closure plan forthe
Calenturias and LaJagua mines,
which was tobegin in 2016 and
end in 2032 and 2028.This
process would guarantee the
ecological and social restoration of
degraded territories
2018:TheColombian State
investigates theenvironmental and
healthimpactsoftheGlencore mines.
Itpointsoutthatmorethan5water
sourceswere impacted(rivers,
streams, etc.)andepidemiological
studieshavenotbeencarried outto
determine thehealthstatusofthe
communitiesintheimpactedareas.
2020: Glencore, through its
subsidiary Prodeco C.I informs
the Colombian State of the
early resignation to end mining
exploitation in Cesar,
abandoning theCalenturitas
and La Jagua mines.

5. CONTEXT: COAL MINING
IN CESAR AND
MAGDALENA ... and what
happened next?

6. 2021: More than 1,200 workers are
unemployed; others were laid off
indirectly and commercial chains
around coal were destroyed. An
official figure is not known but its
estimated that more than 10
thousand people were affected. The
communities in the areas of direct
influence were left with their social
responsibility processes
suspended.
2022: The Glencore company
does not to comply with the
agreed closure plan and
requests modification to a
partial and transitory plan,
requesting the reduction of
environmental
and social obligations
2022: TIERRA DIGNA , together with
the communities and unions, wins
protection by getting a judge to order
the Glencore-Prodeco company and
the State to create a table to
socialize with the entire community
and unions the measures for the
mining closure.
2022 (December): Colombian
Government announces that
Cesar will be the first mining-
energy transition pilot in
Colombia. It has no measures
against hunger.
2023 (february): Great social
outbreak breaks out in the
mining area due to chronic
hunger and extreme poverty.
Polarization due to lack of
dialogue between the mining
company and the Colombian
State.
2023 (march): The leaders of
the dialogue table with
Glencore receive threats,
surveillance and attacks. 5
cases are reported during the
last months.
2023 (April): The Glencore-Prodeco
company has not summoned the dialogue
table since December 2022 and is in
breach of the sentence. Openness and
support have been requested from both
the Swiss and German governments to
facilitate dialogue with the company from
dignified land. Today there is no answer.
The Glencore company on its website
exposes all leaders and leaders by posting
personal information about guardianship
on its website.
2023 (May): It is known at the
institutional level that the Swiss mining
company Glencore International AG
has filed an investment arbitration
claim against Colombia, which joins
the two open and pending procedings
with its subsidiary Prodeco and
Sociedad Portuaria Puerto Nuevo
before the International Center Settle-
ment of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
Despite everything, there is
hope...

7. Process of involving the affected communities
• Mine rehabilitation and liabilities.
• Jobs and livelihood protection.
• Environmental degradation.
• Social Unrest.
Crucial
Challenges
• Creation of a roundtable that
accommodated the community's vision for
the development of economies.
• Favorable legal frameworks to promote
participation.
• International pressure and accompaniment.
what
happened?

8. Defendiendoelterritorio,lavidaylaespiritualidad ancestraldenuestrascomunidadesindigenas,afrodescendientesy campesinas.
Expériences.
Partnership between
communities, trade
unions, civil society and
local stakeholders
Regulatory
frameworks for strong
participation
International support
for the participation
initiative by coal-
buying countries.
- Companies are reluctant to sit down with communities.
- Governments usually do not initiate bottom-up
processes.
- They do not always find allies willing to listen to the
vision of the people of the territory, their real needs and
the spiritual significance of each area (especially when
there are Afro and indigenous peoples).

9. Defendiendoelterritorio,lavidaylaespiritualidad ancestraldenuestrascomunidadesindigenas,afrodescendientesy campesinas.
Recommendations.
Mandatory just
transition
processes for
mining companies.
Promotion of
peaceful
transitions
Guarantees of
environmental
protection
Community-led
processes
Meaningful
participation and
transparency of
information

10. WWW.TIERRADIGNA.ORG
@centrodeestudios.tierradigna (Instagram)
Tierra Digna (Facebook)
diana.alvarez@tierradigna.org