The Colombian government has failed to reach an agreement with miners who went on strike claiming the authorities, local media reported Friday.
According to Radio Sante Fe, some 600 miners marched to the Administrative Center in Medellin. The march was triggered by the government’ s reported alleged refusal to cooperate with the miners, or engage in constructive dialogue.
A spokesperson for the National Confederation of Miners warned that the government was deliberately stalling for time in order to further delay the process.
The miners were reportedly forced to leave the negotiation table after the government adopted a “take it or leave it” stance on the problems they had been facing.
The miners’ main problem was that they wanted the government to reverse ruling 2235 to allow the preservation of ancestral areas and for guides to be given to small mining companies with regards to the surrounding environment.
This struggle echoes a similar argument laid out by senator Jorge Robledo who had previously accused the government of being too friendly towards mining corporations and not towards local level miners.
Sources
- Mineros rompen negociaciones con el gobierno y marchan hacia Medellín para continuar protesta (Radio Sante Fe)
- El Gobierno de Santos, de manera unilateral, se negó a alcanzar un acuerdo con los mineros que se encuentran en paro. (Cedetrabajo)
