According to a statement posted on the civic group’s X account, the government has—in less than two months—eliminated three resolutions protecting the water supply for 2.5 million Colombians, without enacting any measures to benefit that territory in the country’s northeast.

  “They repealed the resolution that extended the temporary reserve until 2029. Next year, Aris Mining (a Canadian multinational mining company focused on the exploration and extraction of gold, silver, and copper) will submit its application for an environmental license.     They are betraying their constituents in Santander and Norte de Santander. They have put the water supply of their children and families at risk,” the statement noted.

  The Committee remembered that November 13 is the deadline the association set for the government to reopen public consultations regarding protection for the sector known as “La Baja,” located in the same region.

“If they fail to do so, we will have to mobilize in Bogota,” the statement declared.

The previous administration had extended the temporary reserve zone established in the Santurbsn massif—originally set to expire in 2025—until 2029, while also expanding its area by nearly 100 hectares.

  The area in question spans over 75,000 hectares; the ministry had previously designated it a restricted zone for new extractive activities—such as mining—but the new administration is now revoking that status.

In other words, the temporary reserve zone will remain in effect only until March 2027, and the deadline for the public consultation that will determine whether it becomes a permanent protected area is this coming November.

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