PRESIDENT: WE NEED FOUR DIFFERENT STRATEGIES MINING are hopeful the recent news on the mining activity has produced the current Colombian government
1. A strong operating police forces and army against illegal mining, which has produced arrests, closures, seizures, etc.
2. The appointment of 100 new mine inspectors, which will complement the stunted Ingeominas Monitoring force, which has only 16 inspectors for more than 8000 mining projects in various stages of development.
3. The restructuring of Ingeominas and the possible creation of a National Agency for Monitoring Extractive Industry (let's not forget that the purpose is Ingeominas mining research mission but before the end of corruption in other institutions-Carbocol, Minercol, ...) was necessary to assign the monitoring and control functions, when we all know that scientists do not have the best skills for a task that is rather of a police).
In short: we could say that, finally, the country responds to an activity fraught with illegality unsafe practices, environmental degradation, corruption and a dozen evils. In good time before the mining boom that awaits us just around the corner.
But be careful, because the issue is more complex and goes well beyond, the scope of a police operation, and successful it may seem.
In Colombia, unlike many countries, live FOUR TYPES OF MINING, and each requires a different strategy (see chart).
1. ARTISAN MINING
The most original of all. It's the small producer, working with precarious means, in highly unsafe conditions, besieged by middlemen, and large gaps legal, of course, but that, therefore, can stigmatize illegal, without trial.
With great sadness, therefore, I received the news of the impending closure of 18 small-scale mines in the municipality of Amagá, distant 60 minutes from the city of Medellin. Great injustice, which contrasts with the fact that a short distance continues to operate in conditions of high insecurity, Mina San Fernando in the previous year resulted in the deaths of 73 miners.
President: With all due respect, artisanal mining is not for stigmatized and persecuted. The ASM urges an aggressive strategy of formalization, with high sense of social and economic inclusion. This strategy should involve: training, counseling, credit building, promotion of cooperative schemes which allow direct access to markets and eliminate the chain of intermediaries, fair-trade schemes, etc. Chase, as is being done, with army and police, mining policy is shortsighted.
2.
TRADITIONAL MINING Mining is the medium and large scale, although a formal work, and fulfilling the legal minimum, or the semblance of legality to be exact, it remains anchored to the practices of the nineteenth century. This explains the succession of disasters that annually, represent hundreds of dead, widows and orphans, in addition to environmental damage irrecoverable.
mining institutional While the State does not develop strongly, with competent persons occupying the charges related to the sector, it is clear that this type of mining will continue to enjoy social space for silence on unsustainable practices and shameful.
Unfortunately, the State's institutions is meager in this area and many of the officials who occupy positions of public trust in it are declared incompetent. Such is the case of the Department of Antioquia, for example, where the Secretary of Mining is carried out by a car dealer without training and experience in the industry, ie by an incompetent (1) that in the mining tragedy Amagá previous year, had to pay with his head, as would any serious government in the world, in similar situations.
traditional mining urged a modernization strategy that leads it to take in the short term, sustainable mining exacting standards that are already common in the world. But to do this will require, certainly, a legislative and institutional support from the State, sufficient conditions to ensure that modernization is feasible and effective.
3. ILLEGAL MINING
Shape similar to as has happened for decades with Colombian emeralds, now vast sectors of the national territory are seeing its potential mining (gold, silver, coltan, etc..) in the hands of gangs, illegal armed groups and even criminal gangs. The looting of resources, corruption, environmental degradation and the rate of murders, this phenomenon has been occurring in recent years, is now added to the gloomy outlook of the armed conflict and widespread corruption.
Against this type of mining there is no other strategy than eradication without concessions. And in this area is encouraging, certainly, the reaction of the government.
4. MINING RESPONSIBLE OR SUSTAINABLE
A growing number of mining companies in the world has been understood that the traditional mining model is not sustainable due to pressure from communities, multilateral agencies, world opinion, governments, etc. (See video "The Holy Mountain" in this Blog). And this has been the leading gradually to develop models of sustainable and responsible mining that are: friendly communities and the environment, safe for the miners, their public actions transparent and capable of displaying a viable and sustainable future for environment in which they operate, once you reach the inevitable stage closure of all mining project faces sooner or later. Cerrejón
Cerromatoso are already excellent examples in Colombia and Antioquia, deserves special mention for Mineros SA These three companies operate major projects respectively ferronickel mining, coal and gold.
The appropriate strategy in this case, is to promote, without a doubt. And this is done with components such as legal stability, access to information social, environmental and geological comprehensive, current and high reliability, the strict control of royalties, and a favorable business climate.
no mistake I wish more chasing small and helpless miners that could be great entrepreneurs, with another approach. Hopefully we succeed in eradicating the new mining mafias. And, hopefully, the large estates and interests of traditional mining finally see a strong hand on their managers and owners. If this does not happen, the country's mining future is studded with tragedies and painful social predation, moral and environmental.
(1) See his resume on the link http://www.antioquia.gov.co/antioquia-v1/links/portalminas.html
1. ARTISAN MINING 
