50 signatures reached
To: Glencore international in Baar Zug
Glencore take responsibility at last
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of Glencore
You are the owners of the El Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia. This is poisoning the air and water. The people of Tabaco, an Afro-descendant community, were forced off their land because of the open-pit mine. Many people of the community have been struggling for 23 years to relocate to new places where they can build a dignified future. The Colombian Supreme Court ruled in favor of the community in 2002 as did the Constitutional Court in 2017. But up to now the responsible parties of the mine have not made sufficient compensation nor have they guaranteed the relocation of those affected, nor productive projects or cultural reparation. From the 28th October 2024, the Junta Social de Reubicación de Tabaco blocked the railway line leading to the mine for nine days. This forced Cerrejón to enter again into negotiations that should lead to a successful settlement.
The demands of the people of Tabaco to El Cerrejón, and therefore to Glencore, are truly self-evident: Please take responsibility at last!
The demands made by Junta Social Pro Reubicación in its communiqué of 28th October are:
• Immediate implementation of the 2017 Constitutional Court ruling.
• The resettlement of all displaced persons from the community of Tabaco.
• A place for a dignified and self-determined life with access to water, fertile land and
therefore economic prospects.
• Full and sustainable reparation considering community self-governance.
You are the owners of the El Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia. This is poisoning the air and water. The people of Tabaco, an Afro-descendant community, were forced off their land because of the open-pit mine. Many people of the community have been struggling for 23 years to relocate to new places where they can build a dignified future. The Colombian Supreme Court ruled in favor of the community in 2002 as did the Constitutional Court in 2017. But up to now the responsible parties of the mine have not made sufficient compensation nor have they guaranteed the relocation of those affected, nor productive projects or cultural reparation. From the 28th October 2024, the Junta Social de Reubicación de Tabaco blocked the railway line leading to the mine for nine days. This forced Cerrejón to enter again into negotiations that should lead to a successful settlement.
The demands of the people of Tabaco to El Cerrejón, and therefore to Glencore, are truly self-evident: Please take responsibility at last!
The demands made by Junta Social Pro Reubicación in its communiqué of 28th October are:
• Immediate implementation of the 2017 Constitutional Court ruling.
• The resettlement of all displaced persons from the community of Tabaco.
• A place for a dignified and self-determined life with access to water, fertile land and
therefore economic prospects.
• Full and sustainable reparation considering community self-governance.
Why is this important?
The El Cerrejón mine in Colombia is meanwhile 100% owned by Glencore, a large company based in the canton of Zug. The mine is one of the largest coal mines in the world and, a major source of carbon emissions, which are fueling man-made global warming. An area the size of the canton of Glarus has been completely destroyed and its inhabitants have been displaced, sometimes by force, from their homes. In particular, polluted air and poisoned water endanger and damage people's health. The mine has already violated Colombian environmental regulations on several occasions. The mine has also not yet followed up on the Colombian court's 2017 decision to compensate the population and guarantee their full reparation.
For the people of Tabaco, it is an important and hopeful sign of solidarity that we in Switzerland recognize their concerns and needs and demand that the Glencore Group fulfill its responsibilities.
More information on the protest in Colombia:
https://www.redcolombia.org/cronica-del-bloqueo-de-la-linea-ferrea-de-el-cerrejon/
Information on corporate responsibility in Switzerland:
https://konzernverantwortung.ch/beispiele/glencores-schmutziges-kohlegeschaeft-in-
kolumbien/
Information on Tabaco from arbeitsgruppe schweiz-kolumbien:
https://www.askonline.ch/allgemein/tabaco-23-jahre-vertrieben-es-ist-zeit-zu-reagieren
For a responsible approach to resources and people - let's take care of our planet!
For the people of Tabaco, it is an important and hopeful sign of solidarity that we in Switzerland recognize their concerns and needs and demand that the Glencore Group fulfill its responsibilities.
More information on the protest in Colombia:
https://www.redcolombia.org/cronica-del-bloqueo-de-la-linea-ferrea-de-el-cerrejon/
Information on corporate responsibility in Switzerland:
https://konzernverantwortung.ch/beispiele/glencores-schmutziges-kohlegeschaeft-in-
kolumbien/
Information on Tabaco from arbeitsgruppe schweiz-kolumbien:
https://www.askonline.ch/allgemein/tabaco-23-jahre-vertrieben-es-ist-zeit-zu-reagieren
For a responsible approach to resources and people - let's take care of our planet!