During 2021, the antioquia mining activity represented 8.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Colombia; Likewise, between 2021 and the third quarter of 2022, the direct allocations of royalties from the municipalities of this department amounted to $79,000 million. In this region of the country, 80% of the national gold production was extracted, according to mineral production data from the National Mining Agency (ANM).
This demonstrates the importance that mining activity has at the local and national level.
(You can also read: Anglo Gold Ashanti responds to Petro: «Quebradona does not put water at risk»)
This was one of the topics that were touched upon during the president’s participation Gustavo Petro in Jerichowhere the future of mining in the region was discussed.
«We do not have an anti-mining position per se, we have a discussion that already has a legal form with the resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice that orders a review of the mining titles delivered,» he said during his speech.
Shortly after the intervention of the president in the region, the ANM issued a resolution in which it resumed inspection functions of mining titles of Projects of Strategic National Interest (Pine) that were in the hands of the delegation of the Government of Antioquia dedicated to that fin.
According to Nicolás Arboleda, a senior associate at Baker McKenzie, for the Mines and Energy area, in this way a series of procedures are centralized, such as the monitoring of contracts, the imposition of fines or the declaration of expiration.
This, according to the president of the Agency, is done because it is «necessary to unify guidelines, criteria and policies for the control, monitoring and control of these projects.»
Taking care of the water and the territory
Gustavo Petro in Jericho.
Presidency of the Republic.
During the presentation, the president stated that they agree with the importance of mining for the energy transition, as it requires metals such as copper, gold, platinum, and nickel, which Colombia produces.
However, he affirmed that for this type of mining to develop, it is necessary to take care of the water and the territory, in order for this activity to coexist with other productive ones. «We have identified that the mining titling occurred where the aquifers are, so we have an undoubted danger,» he said.
One of the five titles that the ANM will resume is precisely Quebradonaof anglogold ashanti in Jericó that will extract copper (80%), silver and gold. Although the President did not refer specifically to this project, he affirmed that in Jericó there would be no progress with miningto which the company said that «we have the peace of mind that our Quebradona project does not put the territory’s water at risk and can coexist in harmony with the development of an agricultural and ecological district.»
The company estimated that once the project begins to produce metals, it would leave $5 billion for the country related to royalties and taxes.
Of these, a part would be irrigated to the municipality that would receive assignments derived from this activity.
At the moment, the project is archived in the National Authority for Environmental Licenses (Anla).
According to the entity, «the main technical considerations that led to ordering the file (…) are related to the definition of the area of influence, the characterization of the hydrogeological and hydrological components (…)».
At this moment, a series of projects are being carried out, such as the reform of the Mining Code and the licensing of these projects, which will change how mining is developed.
