Cerrejon and the River Bruno

The Carbones de Cerrejón mine is owned by three multinational companies two of which are registered on the British Stock Exchange, Anglo American (British Company), BHP Billiton (Austrailian Company) and Glencore Xstrata (a Swiss Company). Cerrejon also has an office in Ireland. It is one of the largest open pit coal mines in the world and the largest in Latin America. It is constructed on land where the Wayuu Indigenous Peoples roamed freely until its arrival. It is was also home to afro-Colombian communities.

I continue to be concerned by reports of the detrimental impact of the mine on the environment and on local communities,” Mr Simon Coveney said [Irish Foriegn Affairs and Trade Minister]. “[Irish] Embassy officials intend to visit La Guajira in the near future and meet with human rights defenders and civil society groups.

Quote from Inside the News Over the World written by Luke Holohan written in 2019

Click on this photo to listen to the video: Local community leader speaks of his experience of the Cerrejon mine: the impacts on the community and his concerns for the future. Cerrejon is altering the course of the River Bruno which will generate greater impact on communities living along the river and beyond.