Since August 9th, the Movement for the Liberation and Defense of Mother Earth has been mobilizing in the area. It is made up by several social sectors of Huila, among them fisherfolk, peasant and indigenous groups. Yesterday, after Juan Manuel Santos’ administration refused to listen to their demands, the demonstrators decided to block Panamericana highway (which serves as a commercial route between Colombia and Ecuador and the South of South America), in Quebrada del Pescador.

The protest lasted 20 minutes, because without saying a word, the ESMAD attacked the demonstrators with tear gases and stones. “Sometimes they go too far”, said activist Juan Pablo Soler, member of Otros Mundos Colombia and Movimiento Rios Vivos to Real World Radio. The population was outraged and several demonstrators defended themselves by throwing stones as well. That’s why some ESMAD officers were injured. “We know they are Colombian, just like us, and we regret this situation”, said Soler, before repeating that the ESMAD officers violently attacked the people who fight for their rights and territorial sovereignty.

According to the member of Otros Mundos Colombia, there is a lot of uncertainty in the area where the protests are being held because Santos’ administration hasn’t agreed to visit the region to exchange positions with the demonstrators that continue in the place.

The Movement for the Liberation and Defense of Mother Earth demands the suspension of mining-energy megaprojects, among them El Quimbo dam, which would affect several Huila municipalities. The indigenous communities are also demanding prior consultation processes so that they can decide on the projects. In addition, native peoples of Cauca department are also expressing their demands for armed actors to leave the territories. These are the main demands in the framework of the mobilizations these past days in Huila.

“There are many indigenous communities with the same position about the armed conflict” as the indigenous of Cauca, said Soler. “We believe there shouldn’t be armed actors in the territory because throughout the years it was proven that their presence worsens the conflict and increases human rights violations”. “We call for a solution to the conflict in favor of peace, and the exit of armed actors from the territory”, added the activist.

Movimiento Rios Vivos stated that there is "a strong link" between megaprojects and the worsening of conflicts in the areas. “It is true that the armed conflict has existed for many years, but when the megaproject arrives, whether it is a mining project, a dam, a plantation, or an infrastructure project, the conflict is always worsened and ends up in the displacement of communities”, said Soler.

Along these lines, the Movement for the Liberation and Defense of
Mother Earth is extremely worried about the different mining and energy projects planed for Huila. Soler said that the goal is to "give away the national territories to mining transnational companies". The member of Movimientos Rios Vivos also highlighted the granting to
Emgesa, a subsidiary of Endesa, Spain and Enel, Italy, of an environmental license in an “irregular” way for El Quimbo project.

Soler also stated that it was necessary that the national government opens a process of dialogue about the mining-energy policy of the country. Halting one project is not enough, he said. "We have to advance in the collective building of a mining-energy policy and that cannot be done exclusively by the people affected", said the activist.

Photo: http://elquepiensagana.blogspot.com