Businessmen have asked the Colombian government to "simplify environmental procedures" under the argument of the pandemic and as a means for the continuity of processes in the midst of the obligatory isolation imposed on the country. Related to this request are several actions that violate fundamental human rights, mainly of ethnic and rural communities.
One of the first actions was the attempt to simplify prior consultation and other procedures. The proposal was to make them virtual. In response, the indigenous communities and the Office of the Procurator requested the Ministry of the Interior to respect fundamental rights and to reverse the measure, which was accepted. However, the quest to change the way consultations are conducted continues.
The National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA), at the request of the Ministry of the Environment, is promoting several virtual environmental hearings, even proposing to hold them on radio, Facebook and YouTube. With the issuance of Resolution 642 of April 13, 2020, the ANLA opened the way for participation to be virtual.
The problem is that communication in these spaces is unilateral, annulling the possibility of discussing technical issues and presenting an obstacle for those with limited access to the Internet. In Colombia, and across Latin America, the rights of access to information, justice and participation are among the most violated.
We must activate all the alerts so that the pandemic does not become an excuse to continue violating them. It is necessary to suspend the proceedings until there are guarantees for the due exercise of the right to participation and for national and international monitoring.
