:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/KIVNQRTN4REKXPJBVZRCJ6AODQ.png "Gustavo Petro announced reforms to the mining code to benefit the country's mining and ancestral families 1")
After mining strike that has been experienced in recent days in Antioquia by the operations of the public force against illegal mining in the northeast and Bajo Cauca Antioquia. President Gustavo Petro He quoted, among others, the Minister of Defence, Ivan Velazquez and to the military leadership for a security Council in Montelíbano, Córdoba, to resolve the tense situation in that part of the country.
After the Security Council, President Gustavo Petro confirmed that the operations carried out by public forces in these territories are not against small miners, for which he showed his support and assured that they have the support of the national government .
“We are not attacking small mining companies, on the contrary, they have our support.”
Chairman Petro also confirmed that one of the reasons this strike was filed was the mining code which was drafted in the government of Andrés Pastrana, where the little minor was unknown and, therefore, he was persecuted.
“The mining code drafted and approved at the time of the Pastrana government only stimulated the protection of large mining multinationals. The little minor was unknown, he was criminalized, he was persecuted”.
For this reason, as confirmed by President Petro, the national government will seek to reform the mining code, in order to support the mining and ancestral families of the country.
“We are going to reform this mining code, based on the recognition and titling of the rights of small mining operators and ancestral families in Colombia, with the support of the government so that this activity does not depreciate the territory, does not use mercury, contaminate and affect the waters, the rivers”.
According to President Gustavo Petro, it is expected that with the reforms proposed for the mining code in the country, it will be possible to prosecute the different mafia groups that practice illegal mining in Colombia, which directly affect the City already the natural resources.
“But we separate this activity from supporting an illegal, large-scale economy owned by mafia groups. One thing is the small miner, another thing is the mafia group that threatens the territory, the population, our natural and human resources”.
The reforms will aim to lead to the construction of a agro-mining district in northeast and northern Antioquia, where conditions can be met and the rights of families who practice responsible mining in that area are stipulated. According to Petro, it is necessary for the government to establish the investment to guarantee sustainable mining and that it does not destroy the Cauca River.
But amid the announcement, President Petro also sent a strong message to members of the gulf clan for their possible participation in the events leading up to the strike, if at least 16 municipalities from various departments.
For President Gustavo Petro, if the alleged participation of the Clan del Golfo in the events is confirmed, it would confirm that the criminal organization has not desire for peacebecause for the president, no organization can approach a process of organizing peace, if its plans include the defense of the illegal economy or drug trafficking.
“If the Clan del Golfo is behind the strike, as many signs show, it must be said, they have no desire for peace.”
Regarding the social situation in the region, Gustavo Petro assured that the roads that have been affected are already under the control of the public force, and confirmed that the main northeast line is completely free and that it is possible to travel without problems from Montería to the Caucasus.
“Right now, all the roads are under control. Only one spot remains where dozens of trees that were felled to block roads are being removed. The main northeast line is completely free, it can be reached from Montería to Caucasia and we are removing the last obstacles towards Cáceres-Tarazá”.