Another month another river (Magdalena, Columbia)

[auroraglacialis]

They want to build a 150 meter high dam to block one of the largest rivers in Columbia. 1500 people and 82 square kilometers of rain forest will be displaced or killed:

The Quimbo Hydroelectric Project is the first dam to be built in Colombia entirely by a multinational corporation, Emgesa an affiliate of Endesa-Enel, as part of the policies of creating investor confidence that have been imposed by recent administrations. This policy gives all the guarantees and support to the private corporations in detriment of the communities whose rights are violated.

The Quimbo Hydroelectric Project will inundate about 8,250 ha within its reservoir, some of the region´s most fertile land that will destroy the food security of hundreds of communities of fisher people, day workers, coffee growers, tobacco growers, cacao growers, artisanal miners and transporters among others that interact with the Magdalena River. This is why since the project started in 2008 the affected communities have protested and proposed alternatives for the development of their region while be consistently ignored by national authorities all while being trampled by the transnational company that in efforts of expanding its earnings has carefully unrecognized a significant portion of the affected peoples whose rights are being violated.

Earlier this month, the Regional Movement for the Defense of the Territory organized a 15-day blockade, paralyzing construction of the proposed Quimbo Hydroelectric Project in Colombia's Huila state.

Unfortunately, the successful action has only delayed temporarily phase 1 of the dam's construction: the diversion of the Magdalena River. Phase 1 has since been re-scheduled to commence on Feb 8, 2012.

JORNADA DE MOVILIZACIÓN NACIONAL, POR LA DEFENSA DEL TERRITORIO, EL RIO MAGDALENA, SUS COMUNIDADES
Signatures Needed: Halt diversion of the Magdalena River in Colombia!
https://www.regenwald.org/aktion/849?mt=1303