Mining, Multinationals and Community Mobilisation

bristol | globalisation | press release Tuesday April 08, 2008 03:16 by Espacio Bristol Colombia

talk byTeófilo Acuña, Farmers and Mining Association of Southern Bolívar, Colombia

Before the mining multinationals arrived in the Colombian region of Southern Bolívar, state-linked paramilitaries paved their way with the murder of two members of the regional Farmers and Mining Association, FEDEAGROMINESBOL. After playing football with the decapitated head of one of their victims, they stuck it on a post, facing towards the mines. Then they informed the community - many of whom made their living as small-scale miners - they’d come to hand over the mines to the multinationals.

When: Wednesday 16th April - 5-7pm
Where: Frank Lecture Theatre - Department of Physics - University of Bristol,
Tyndall Avenue - BS8 1LT

Before the mining multinationals arrived in the Colombian region of Southern Bolívar, state-linked paramilitaries paved their way with the murder of two members of the regional Farmers and Mining Association, FEDEAGROMINESBOL. After playing football with the decapitated head of one of their victims, they stuck it on a post, facing towards the mines. Then they informed the community - many of whom made their living as small-scale miners - they’d come to hand over the mines to the multinationals.

Teófilo Acuña is a leader of FEDEAGROMINESBOL, which organizes more than 20,000 miners and peasant-farmers in the region and has mobilised communities on many occasions in resistance to the operations of paramilitary groups working on behalf of mining and other interests, such as monocultures of agro-fuel crops. As a result, many of their leaders have been killed or imprisoned. The most recent murder was that or Alejandro Uribe Chacón, a mining leader who was shot by the army in 2006. Last year, Teófilo himself was imprisoned on the orders of the army battalion charged with protecting the mining companies.

Colombia Solidarity Campaign has invited Teófilo to Britain to attend the Anglo-American AGM and other meetings as part of their campaigning work on mining issues. One of Espacio Bristol-Colombia’s volunteers is currently based in Southern Bolívar providing solidarity accompaniment to FEDEAGROMINESBOL and local communities.

More information:
bristolcolombiasolidarity at gmail dot com
espaciobristol at redcolombia dot org