Where there is water, there is life: Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia is taking both
Where there is water, there is life: Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia is taking both
iku
Tue, 08/18/2026 - 17:53
On 5 June, churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, together with investment and ecumenical partners, submitted a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. The complaint concerns HSBC Holdings plc and its financial relationship with Glencore, the company operating the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia. This is the third in a feature story series that illustrates the impacts of the Cerrejón mining operation on the environment, water access, and pollution.
Image
Matilde Sapuana lives in the Wayúu indigenous community of Jamiche, La Guajira, Colombia.
The Wayúu indigenous people of La Guajira, Colombia, have faced decades of displacement, contamination and cultural destruction linked to the Cerrejón open-cast coal mine — one of the largest in the world. Communities report polluted water, failing harvests, and chronic respiratory disease, while remaining excluded from the legal recognition that would give them access to…
