Puerto Wilches, April 21, 2022
By decision adopted today by the First Oral Administrative Judge of the Circuit of Barrancabermeja, Blanca Judith Martinez, on the charge filed by the Afrowilche Corporation represented by the Podion Corporation, the José Alvear Restrepo Collective and the Colombia Free of Fracking Alliance, the environmental license for the Kalé fracking pilot and the environmental licensing process for the Platero project carried out by ANLA, both located in the municipality of Puerto Wilches, Santander, are suspended until the prior consultation process is carried out in all its phases. According to the Colombia Fracking Free Alliance, “this is a victory for the Afro-Colombian communities of Puerto Wilches and environmental organizations, who for years have been resisting the development of a technique that has been scientifically proven to contaminate water and the environment, and demonstrates once again that the implementation of these projects from the beginning has been carried out in violation of fundamental rights to prior consultation and environmental participation, and without a social license in the territories”.
According to the ruling, it is evident that in this experimental stage fundamental rights of the communities of Puerto Wilches are already being violated, which according to the Congressmen coadjutants of the tutela “demonstrates the eagerness of the National Government to advance the fracking pilots without respecting the legal system and the will of the inhabitants of Puerto Wilches, and evidences the double discourse of President Iván Duque who speaks abroad of protecting the environment while in Colombia implements projects that are harmful to ecosystems and the communities that inhabit them”.
“In a context of serious threats and harassment against environmental defenders who oppose fracking, we are concerned about the life and integrity of the members of Afrowilches. The National Government removed the protection measures from its legal representative, Pedro Carballido, the same day it issued the Environmental License for the Kale project”, added the Alliance.
About Afrowilches:
The Corporación Afrocolombiana de Puerto Wilches – Afrowilches is in the Registro Público Único Nacional de Organizaciones de Base de las Comunidades Negras, Afrocolombianas, Raizales y Palenqueras of the Ministry of Interior with Resolution No. 086 of November 12, 2014, has been the subject of prior consultation by the Corporación Autónoma Regional – CAS for the POMCA of the Middle Lebrija River, adopted by Resolution 490 of July 25, 2018. Since 2018 it has been advancing a process of collective land titling in the area of influence of the Kalé and Platero fracking pilots, and after fulfilling all formal requirements it is awaiting registration as an Afro Community Council by the Ministry of Interior.