PBI-Colombia accompanies CAHUCOPANA at Fanny Garcia Gender School graduation

On December 7, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project posted, “On November 25, PBI accompanied CAHUCOPANA at the 5th meeting of peasant women miners of the Northeast of Antioquia and the closing of the 2nd edition of the Gender School: Fanny García, in the Altos de Manila village.”

“More than 120 women from the municipality of Remedios joined their voices against gender violence and the murders of human rights leaders and demanded that respect for their rights be guaranteed.”

PBI-Colombia adds, “Long live empowered women! And Congratulations to the classmates for their graduation!”

CAHUCOPANA refers to the Humanitarian Action Corporation for Coexistence and Peace of the Northeast Antioquia. Doña Fanny García is one of the founders of CAHUCOPANA and was the first president of the organization.

PBI-Colombia has explained, “Thousands of families from the region [of Northeastern Antioquia] have lived off artisanal mining for centuries, mainly gold mining. …The arrival of large companies became a reality at the end of 2010, when 70 [small-scale artisanal] mines were closed and 118 people were detained in relation to informal mining in the area.”

This rabble article from February 2017 notes, “According to the Colombian National Agency of Mining there are 27 Canadian companies operating in the country with 42 mining titles for copper, silver and gold.”

The Canadian mining companies in Antioquia have included Toronto-based Rockcliff Copper Corporation, IAMGOLD, Continental Gold, Gran Colombia, and Vancouver-based Angel Gold Corporation and Antioquia Gold.

PBI-Colombia has a team of volunteers based in Apartadó, Antioquia and has accompanied CAHUCOPANA since 2013.