Gold mining within the framework of regulatory insecurity. Stakeholders and exclusion zones

Abstract

This article addresses the subject of mining in excludable zones by means of a bibliographic revision of the current legislation, and two iconic cases that have occurred in Colombia are exemplified with regard to gold mining in protected areas: the Yaigojé-Apaporis National Park and the Santurbán paramo. Both cases demonstrate the lack of coordination among the mining and environmental authorities and the legislative gap especially in the exploratory stage that, besides causing serious environmental impacts and violating the rights of both ethnic minorities and the general population, creates regulatory insecurity and generates considerable costs for the mining companies. First, the juridical outlook that governs the mining exploitation in Colombia is described. Then, the article provides a technical context of the mining cycle and the implications from the juridical standpoint of this type of exploitations in protected zones. Finally, the articles presents a chronological line of the case studies on mining activities in a protected zone of the National Parks system and another one in a regional context, concluding that the lack of coordination among the institutions leaves the sector in a juridical limbo.