Colombia: The Government Favors Canadian Imperialism Over the Interests of the People
Featured image: Santurbán Moorland Defense Committee. Source: Colombia Informa via Nueva Democracia.
Santurbán moorland is a vital ecosystem in Colombia that provides water to approximately 40 municipalities. In March 2025, the outgoing government designated the area as a Temporary Reserve Zone, intended to protect the moorland until 2029. However, this designation lacks the necessary technical studies and regulatory frameworks for effective protection.
Nueva Democracia writes that according to the Moorland Defense Committee, meetings were held in the beginning of July, between the national government and various popular organizations involved in the process of demarcating the Santurbán moorland, without making the needed advance. Now the activists are facing intimidation tactics, and the president Abelardo de la Espriella, supported imperialist interests, particularly those of ARIS Mining, which aims to extract significant quantities of gold and potentially other minerals like copper and uranium from the moorland, aiming to drill into the mountain to produce more than 8.2 metric tons of gold annually – Abelardo also has a personal business connection with ARIS Mining. The profits from these operations are projected to be enormous.
ARIS Mining plans to formalize traditional miners’ status in the moorland, allowing them to exploit the area while also establishing industrial operations. Environment Minister Fabio Arjona supports this approach. Media depicts traditional miners and environmentalists as opposing forces, with environmentalists branded as illegal mining supporters.
The Colombian government prioritizes revenue for imperialists from mining over the well-being of people reliant on the moorland for water. Nueva Democracia notes:“In other words, for the Canadians and the Colombian State at their service, there is no alternative other than mining in the hands of illegal groups or “legal” imperialist capital.”
Canadian imperialism exploits the moorland through the local ruling classes: The soon to be new government will continue to prioritize imperialist mining interests over the interests of the people and environmental protection, as previous administrations have also done by enabling the looting of the country.
