At the initiative of the government of the time, in December 1976 the association contract was signed between Carbocol (State industrial and commercial company) and Intercor (Exxon), which made possible the most ambitious and important industrial project in the country.
The objective was to turn Colombia into a coal power, although it was also designed and developed thinking about improving the economic, social and cultural conditions of La Guajira and the common good of the country.
Since 1985, Cerrejón has exported more than 600 million tons of coal, which has generated enormous income for the country and the Guajiro territory, represented in billions of pesos in taxes and royalties, in addition to complementary positive impacts on the supply chain, in regional development and the multiple benefits in human and social development that it has produced throughout its history, despite the inevitable price cycles.
The rulers, both national and territorial, who had the opportunity to manage these enormous revenues and reflect them in development and well-being for the population, especially for indigenous communities, will probably one day carry out a process of accountability and help to understand what really happened. with those resources.
The recent and unusual attack by Petro against the Cerrejón coal complex borders on the limits of the law. His recent statements, made with self-confidence and extreme informality, which call into question the dignity of the Presidency of the Republic as an institution, are based on myths and falsehoods that do not match reality, nor do they have the necessary technical and scientific rigor that they should . They are, rather, the product of their imagination and their animosity against that valuable source of energy, and are aimed at further shortening the life of a mining operation that has brought many benefits to La Guajira and the country.
Blaming Cerrejón for the death of the Wayú indigenous children that have occurred in La Guajira, as well as the lack of water due to the reduction in the flow of the Ranchería river and the surface streams that feed it, in summer, as well as the underground ones – whose water has high mineral content that makes it unfit for human consumption-, is a clear ratification of what was stated in the preceding paragraph.
The partial modification of the Bruno stream channel was carried out in compliance with the highest international standards and had the approvals of the corresponding environmental entities. After several years of having carried out the partial modification of its channel, this stream has stabilized and flows satisfactorily, flowing into the Ranchería River, which shows that the availability of water or the ecosystem balance of this body of water has not been put at risk. water.
On the other hand, the measurements carried out by Ideam and the monitoring carried out by environmental experts from Cerrejón confirm that the river’s water flow increases by an average of 39% after it passes through the areas close to the mining operation. There are technical and natural reasons for this.
It should be noted that there is no direct connection between the scarcity of water in Alta Guajira, where most of the Wayú communities live, and the activities of Cerrejón. In this northernmost geographical area of the Department, no rivers flow because the Oca geological fault directs the Ranchería River to the west, flowing into Riohacha, preventing a large part of the territory from having the benefits of this tributary. Aware of this situation, the Cerrejón company makes permanent efforts to make responsible use of water, protect water sources and facilitate access to the precious liquid of the Wayú communities through the Water Train.
President Petro and his Minister of Mines and Energy are seeking to speed up the energy transition and end coal mining operations. For this, they are encouraging the communities to be active partners in the wind and solar projects that are developed, which is a legitimate aspiration that, however, could have several obstacles to overcome before putting it into practice. Nor has the government been explicit about how the enormous benefits generated by Cerrejón will be compensated.
Just to mention a few of the year 2022: more than 12,000 jobs, between direct and contractors, well paid (60% are peasants), which will be impossible to achieve considering that wind and solar generation requires much less labor; more than 12,000 beneficiaries of educational programs, $3.7 billion in taxes and royalties, $2 billion in income tax, $1.5 billion in royalties, $52.329 million in tax payments to the Department and municipalities, social investment of more than $130,000 million in voluntary and mandatory projects, 42 million liters of water delivered to more than 160 communities, more than 581,000 trees planted and unrestricted compliance with environmental regulations, among others.
*Taken from the Diario del Norte publication, July 7, 2023, with the authorization of the author.
By: Alvaro Lopez Peralta