Under Siege: Popayán in the Deadly Crosshairs of Terror

By Aura Isabel Olano Correa

For decades, Cauca has suffered guerrillas of all stripes, attacks on rural private property, with high costs for agricultural production and a serious risk in terms of sovereignty and food security, because many products arrive from other regions of the country, because production has been reduced, as large areas have been used for crops for illegal use, among them, coca, marijuana of various types and poppies, from which alkaloids such as opium, morphine and codeine.

Precisely, because Cauca is a department rich in natural resources (flora, fauna, water, jungle, fine woods, minerals such as gold, silver, platinum, among others), it has been a coveted territory by criminals who have become rich, leaving behind misery and violence. Furthermore, its 80% mountainous topography has served as a cave and shelter for the guerrillas: M-19- ELN, ELP, the indigenous Quintín Lame, the FARC and now the so-called dissidents, which are not so much so, because in us this division disbanded, they simply changed “commanders.”

Guerrillas and criminals have occupied the wealth of Cauca in its various cardinal points. In the 1980s it was known that the Russians were looting the gold of the Pacific Coast, the persecution by the authorities did not go beyond burning one or the other of the dredges and the problem was silenced. Illegal exploitation of alluvial gold has dried up and diverted rivers, streams, and water sources; and the illegal extraction of quarry minerals affects the surface of the earth, contaminating the air, soils, surface water and underground aquifers. This criminal exploitation has devastating effects on the environment. It is known that they are exploiting a gold mine at the site of El Ventiadero, village of La Betulia, municipality of La Vega, south of Cauca Will it have authorization from the environmental authority? A ruling from the CRC is awaited.

This department is in the hands of organized crime, call it one way or another. You don’t need to be an expert researcher to realize the serious risk that Popayán is in, not only because of the underground economy, which is obvious, but because he became the target of terrorists to scare the authorities and the population in general to act as your own. Proof of this is the terrorist attacks last June against the Cauca Police Command and the one that happened last Saturday, November 2, against the facilities of the National Army, to which explosive charges were directed. In both cases, these facilities are located in the residential areas of Popayán, which means a serious risk for the residents of the capital of Cauca.

Will the exploitation of gold at the site of El Ventiadero, village of La Betulia, municipality of La Vega, be permitted by the environmental authority?

The mayor himself, Juan Carlos Muñoz Bravo, said that an alarm has gone off in Popayán, which cannot be ignored. In response to this threat, a security board was convened to define immediate actions to protect the peace and well-being of the community. It is expected, as the local leader assured, with the support of the Cauca Government, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Police, that there will be a strong and decisive response to face the criminals. Citizens’ cooperation is also needed, which is very valuable.

Related, we are close to applying for the #HousingAid, for more information: application requirements and more, visit our website: https://www.comfacauca.com/servicio/vivienda/
Notification: 602-8231868ext 140-143