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The United Nations has warned that mercury contamination from illegal gold mining in Colombia’s Atrato River basin has created a “serious and ongoing human rights crisis”, threatening people’s health and survival. indigenous and African-descendant communities who depend on the river for food, water, and culture.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, three special envoys of the UN Human Rights Council raised concerns with the Colombian government about inadequate compliance with the 2016 Convention. constitutional court This decision recognized the Atrato River as a legal entity with rights of protection and restoration.
“Ten years have passed and we have seen inadequate implementation and compliance with the terms of that decision,” Marcos Orellana, the U.N. special envoy on poisons and human rights, told The Associated Press. “A large part of the problem arises from the presence of organized crime – mercury smuggling, gold smuggling, and corruption in the military and police forces.”
The Atrato River, one of Colombia’s largest waterways, flows nearly 500 miles from the western Andes to the Caribbean Sea through the lush forests of Chocó, one of the most biodiverse but impoverished regions of the country. It is home to predominantly Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities who depend on fishing and small-scale farming – whose livelihoods are now at risk due to toxic pollution.
Illegal gold mining is now one of the main drivers of deforestation and pollution in many Amazon regions of Latin America. Rising gold prices and weak traceability systems have increased the demand for illegally mined gold which often ends up in global supply chains. The mercury used to extract the metal has devastated wildlife – including river dolphins and fish – and contaminated the food sources of indigenous communities in remote areas of the Amazon.
More than one-third of the population is exposed to mercury
AP reporting last year revealed how local residents – charged with protecting the river – act as sentinels to illegal mining and the river’s health, often under threat from armed groups.
Orellana said the United Nations has found evidence that suggests more than a third of the population in the Atrato watershed is exposed to mercury levels exceeding World Health Organization limits. He called the situation “incredibly worrying”, citing the metal’s extreme toxicity and ability to cause neurological damage, organ failure and developmental disorders in unborn children.
The 2016 court decision was hailed globally as a milestone in environmental law, inspiring similar “rights of nature” initiatives elsewhere. But Orellana said political change, lack of funding and alleged corruption have weakened enforcement.
“Complying with the court’s decision requires a long-term institutional commitment,” he said. “Politics can intervene, and reality sets in when budgets are not followed.”
The letter – signed by the Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent – was sent to the Colombian government more than 60 days ago, but has yet to receive any response, Orellana said. Under standard UN procedures, governments are given 60 days to respond before such communications are made public.
“I expect the government to respond by giving effect to its obligations under international human rights law,” he said.
Colombia’s presidential office and environment ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Illegal mining is linked to slavery, prostitution and displacement
In their communication, the UN Rapporteurs described mercury contamination as a violation of the rights to health, life and a clean environment. He urged Colombia to take “immediate and effective” steps to curb illegal mining, clean up polluted sites and provide medical care to affected communities.
Mercury It is commonly used in small-scale gold mining to separate gold from sediment, but when released into rivers it poisons fish and accumulates in human tissues. Colombia banned the use of mercury in mining in 2018, yet enforcement remains weak – particularly in conflict zones dominated by armed groups and criminal networks.
Orellana said his office found evidence of slave labor, forced prostitution and displacement related to illegal mining operations in the Atrato region.
“These forms of violence and human rights violations are accompanied by mercury pollution and should be considered an environmental crime,” he said.
He urged Colombia to take a leading role in strengthening international mercury controls under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, saying that current global regulations to curb cross-border trade “have gaps that need to be closed”.
Meaningful progress, Orellana said, would mean seeing a decline in the number of hectares mined – which has increased since the 2016 decision – and ensuring that communities have access not only to testing, but specialized health care and clear guidance on how to reduce risks.
“The human rights of the victims are at risk,” he said. “International law requires states to respect and guarantee rights – not for a day or a week, but at all times.”
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