August 17, 2012 Mining has often been associated with conflict
in Colombia, which is one of the world's most diverse countries
in terms of wildlife, plants, and cultures. Photo by Rhett A.
Butler Colombia's rich mineral deposits have long been eyed by
investors, but civil conflict limited extraction to secure areas
until the early to mid 2000s. With the decline in violence in
recent years, mining projects in the country have mushroomed,
including a surge in unlicensed and unregulated wildcat mines —
the National Mining Agency said yesterday that a census for
2010-2011 found that 73 percent of mining operations lack proper
title. But with the influx of miners, there have been rising
complaints about environmental damage. Earlier this month
environmentalists held demonstrations demanding stronger
safeguards in a new mining code that will be submitted to
Congress next year. Meanwhile indigenous groups have been
reporting conflict with both large mining companies and small-
scale miners for years. The Colombian go