(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
While the small passenger plane hovers over the dense jungle of Chocó on the way between Medellin and Bahia Solano, where I will spend a few lazy beach days along the Pacific coast, I can not help but notice the only spots that scream like open wounds in the otherwise green jungle below me. Environmental bombs in shades of brown, with spots of turquoise, green and yellow. These are mines, mainly illegal gold mines, a problem that has exploded in Colombia over the last ten years. Small-scale gold mining has long traditions in Colombia, and in many areas has been an important source of income for the local population. But as gold prices have risen, new gold mines have emerged daily. It is no longer a question of a small mine here and there, but thousands scattered all over the country: Illegal mines have been discovered in almost half of all the country's municipalities, and with the mines come problems – both environmental, social and criminal. Operation mine clearance. The small mines have mainly been allowed to operate in peace – what happens in forgotten outlying areas has rarely been of great interest to those in power in the capital – but lately it seems that a change has taken place. The actions against the illegal mines have increased in scope, and the largest newspapers in the country have written about and made major reports about the phenomenon. More and more people are starting to open their eyes to what is happening. During the first months of the year, the military has already carried out operations against more than 500 illegal mines, blown up 50 excavators and arrested 800 people. During the whole of last year, operations were carried out against 656 mines. In addition, President Juan Manuel Santos has recently stated that he wants to change the regulations to make it easier to punish those who make money on illegally mined gold. Whether this sudden attention comes from realizing how much money guerrilla groups and other armed groups make on this and all the environmental problems they are helping to create, or whether it is a way to pave the way for giant projects led by foreign mining companies, is not good to say. What is certain is that the illegal mines are very problematic. Most are found in vulnerable areas that are mainly populated by Indians and Afro-Colombians, where there is poor access to public goods such as schools, health services and infrastructure for sewage. These are areas that the Colombian state has totally forgotten and overlooked, many of them with poor or no road connection. Those who live here are among the poorest and most exploited in Colombia. The state's absence makes it easy for criminal groups and guerrilla groups to gain a foothold, and where new mines pop up, toxic waste begins to pollute air and drinking water. Prostitution and the proportion of people dropping out of school are increasing. People are killed or threatened to leave their homes, and many end up as another number in the statistics: In 2013 (the last year for which figures are available), around 200 new displaced people were registered, many from areas with high mining activity.
Colombia will soon have six million internally displaced people – surpassed by Syria alone worldwide.
Threatened biological diversity. One of the most visible problems with mining is the environmental problems. Even though I was already aware of the extent, it makes an even bigger impression when I see it from here I sit on the plane, from above, in bird's eye view: so much destruction. Brown, deforested spots with tails of yellow-brown water flowing into the nearby rivers. And there are areas that are even worse affected, including in Antioquia and Córdoba, but also areas here in the state of Chocó. The mines devastate everything from the species-rich, tropical rainforest below me, to important wetland areas above 3000 meters. No climate zone is exempt. The drinking water that disappeared. The environmental problems are many. First an area is deforested, and then, when the mines are excavated, sulphide minerals – of which there are often many where there is gold – oxidize with air and water, and finally form sulfuric acid which flows into and pollutes the rivers. This is a problem for humans, animals and crops. Quibdó, for example, the state capital of Chocó – a state that consists mainly of tropical rainforests – is close to what has been named the world's most rainy place. However, the city cannot offer its inhabitants clean drinking water due to all the mines that surround it. Mercury-wanted. As if that were not enough, small-scale extraction of gold is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to mercury pollution. To separate the gold from the gold ore, large amounts of mercury are added, and when the mass formed later is burned, most of the mercury is released into the air. The rest ends up in soil and water. Colombia not only has the honor of being one of the richest countries in the world when it comes to biodiversity. The country also has the embarrassing position as one of the world's most mercury pollutants per capita, with emissions of at least 150 tonnes a year. A few years ago, mining engineer Marcello Veiga measured alarmingly high levels of mercury in the air in the small town of Segovia and other small towns in the state of Antioquia – the highest ever measured in built-up areas. Inside some of the gold-burning distilleries, the values were so high that they exceeded the capacity of the meter. But even outside – at schools, churches, houses – they were many times above what is recommended by the World Health Organization. This means that both those who work with extraction and processing, and the inhabitants in general, are exposed to danger. Including children, who are more prone to brain damage from mercury exposure.
Where new mines pop up, toxic waste begins to pollute air and drinking water.
Because in Segovia, and in many, many other small towns in Colombia, the distilleries are not located by the mines, which is common in other countries where small-scale gold mining is widespread. No, because of the ongoing conflict in the country, the distilleries are rather placed in city centers to prevent them from ending up in crossfire between fighting forces, and to reduce the chance of being killed and someone running away with the gold. From cocaine to gold. It is thus not just pollution that makes illegal mining a major problem in Colombia. For many actors in the armed conflict, mining has become an important source of income. It is estimated that at least half of the mines are operated by, or located in, areas controlled by the guerrilla groups FARC and ELN or paramilitary and other criminal groups. Due to growing difficulties in smuggling cocaine out of the country, and successful destruction of large coca plantations, many groups have found themselves looking for new ways to make money. Much thanks to the high gold prices, mining has become "the new big thing", with direct control of mines and taxation of workers. In some cases, mining is also used to launder money made on other illegal activities, such as drug smuggling, and several legally run mining companies have been accused of buying gold that has been mined illegally. It is also less risky business: If you are caught with one kilo of cocaine, you will be sent straight to prison; If you are caught with one kilo of gold, however, there is nothing the state can do under the current regulations. Transporting and selling gold is not illegal – yet. Time will tell whether the new measures can put an end to illegal mining in Colombia. The question is just what people should make money on instead. In many places there are almost no legal alternatives. In some places, tourism may be the solution, such as here in El Valle in Chocó, but it looks dark. Because even though Colombia's Pacific coast boasts miles of pristine beaches and virgin forests with bustling wildlife, I'm the only person on the beach when I arrive on the coast. Hotels and guesthouses are almost empty, the crabs get arrows undisturbed over the dark sand. This has been the worst season in a long time. Most tourists stay away because of the security situation – the Pacific coast does not have a particularly good reputation – and because the only way to get here is to fly. Even worse is the situation a little further south, in Nuquí, where the planes recently stopped operating due to poor maintenance of the runway. But so far, the water that trickles into small waterfalls right down on the beach here is drinkable. Skjervøy is a photographer and writer, living in Bogotá.
