In Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments there are many black ancestral communities, descendant from the slave populations of the sugarcane fields of the region.

The building of Salvajina dam by Spanish transnational company Union Fenosa on Ovejas River caused the displacement of around three thousand people from several afrodescendant communities. Meanwhile, transnational mining companies, such as Anglo Gold Ashanti, were granted permits without communities being consulted.

In Suarez municipality, leaders from La Toma community who promote the process of defense of the territories against multinational hydroelectric and mining companies have been threatened.

In fact, Alvaro Uribe´s administration has been granting mining exploration and exploitation permits to foreigners and international companies such as Anglo Gold Ahanti and Cosigo Resort, without carrying out a free, prior and informed consent process, which is mandatory according to ILO Convention 169.

While threats and attacks against local leaders by military and paramilitary forces (called the “Black Eagles”) are commonplace, on April 7th these threats became a cruel reality.

That day, 8 mining workers were murdered and another person was injured in a gold mine in La Toma.

According to the worker who survived, the murderers came saying that they couldn´t be there and without saying another word they started shooting.

In an interview with Contagio Radio, one of the leaders described the situation and expressed the concern of members of the organization PCN due to the increasing threats they receive.

This has caused the displacement of leaders from the communities, leaving them unprotected.

“What El Espectador newspaper and Caracol network are saying about conflicts among communities is not true, and we want to make that clear”, said the leader, denying the “official” versions around these crimes.

Photo:www.elpais.com.co