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Preserving the legacy of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Heart of the World
Rising abruptly from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta reaches 5,775 meters (18,946 ft.) at its highest points, the peaks of Bolívar and Colón. It is the highest coastal mountain system in the world, a place where indigenous knowledge and nature’s own wisdom converge.
The sheer changes in elevation create a wide variety of ecosystems within a small area, where the diversity of plant and animal life creates a unique exuberant region. The melting snows of the highest peaks form rivers and lakes, whose freshwater flows down steep slopes to the tropical sea at the base of the mountains.
The indigenous Arhuaco, Kogi, Wiwa, and Kankuamo people protect and care for this natural treasure with an authority they have inherited from their ancestors. According to their worldview the land is sacred and shared in divine communion between humans, animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and the spirts of their ancestors.
Despite this ancestral inheritance, development projects proposed for the region have failed to take the opinions of these indigenous groups into consideration. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is currently threatened by 251 mineral concessions, hydroelectric projects, agriculture, urban sprawl, and infrastructure projects.
Many of these concessions were granted without the prior consultation of the indigenous communities, which represents a persistent and systematic violation of their rights.
Mining, which implies the contamination and erosion of watersheds, threatens the health of more than 30 rivers that flow out of the Sierra; these are the water sources of the departments of Magdalena, César, and La Guajira.
These threats have brought this natural paradise to the brink of no return. With it, would go the traditional lives of its indigenous inhabitants, who are dependent on the health of their land and the sacred sites it contains.
The Sierra hosts the archaeological site of la Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, known as Teyuna, the cradle of Tayrona civilization. According to tradition, it is the source from which all nature was born—the living heart of the world.
The four guardian cultures of the Sierra are uninterested in allowing this natural and cultural legacy to disappear.
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5 key facts about “rare” earth elements
In recent weeks, you have probably read or heard the term "rare" earth elementsContrary to what their name suggests, they are more common in everyday life than you might think. In fact, many of the technological innovations we use daily would not be possible without them.So why are they being talked about so much right now?Because today, "rare" earth elements and other minerals considered "critical" are at the center of disputes over their control, given their usefulness in the manufacture of technologies for the energy transition and for the military industry.But aside from the geopolitical tensions surrounding the issue, there are basic questions that arise when we hear this term, which is why we answer them here.By understanding where the raw materials behind the technologies we use come from, we can also rethink the kind of future we want. What are "rare" earth elements?There are 17 metallic elements, similar in their geochemical properties, used in many of today's technologies, from cell phones to electric cars.They include the 15 lanthanides of the periodic table of chemical elements—lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium—as well as scandium and yttrium.Promethium is usually excluded from this group because under normal conditions its half-life is short. Are they really rare?Contrary to what one might think, they are not "rare" in abundance, but rather in concentration. In other words, deposits with high concentrations are rare, making their exploitation and processing difficult. As a result, most of the world's supply comes from a few sources.But when they were discovered (in the 18th and 19th centuries), they were less well known than other elements. The most abundant "rare" earth elements are similar in concentration in the Earth's crust to common industrial metals (chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, or lead). Even the two least abundant rare earth elements (thulium and lutetium) are almost 200 times more common than gold. What are "rare" earth elements used for?They have unusual fluorescent, magnetic, and conductive properties, making them attractive for a wide range of applications.They are present in everyday objects such as smartphones, screens, and LED lights.In renewable energy, they are used to manufacture wind turbines and electric cars.Its most specialized uses include medical devices and military weapons. Where are they?They exist in various parts of the world, but just because a country has reserves does not mean that it exploits them. The countries with the largest reserves are:China: 44 million tons.Brazil: 21 million tons.India: 6.9 million tons.Australia: 5.7 million tons.Russia: 3.8 million tons.Vietnam: 3.5 million tons.United States: 1.9 million tons.Greenland: 1.5 million tons.In Latin America, besides Brazil, other countries where "rare" earth elements have been identified are Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. Why is there so much talk about them now?The energy transition is intensifying competition for access to raw materials—including rare earth elements—needed for renewable energy technologies.To promote and facilitate access to these and other resources, some countries and international organizations refer to them as "critical."But they are not only important for renewable energy. "Rare" earth elements are also key to the military industry.Because global supply is concentrated in a few sources, there is growing interest among some countries in the Global North in controlling access to these resources. What are the impacts of their exploitation?The extraction of "rare" earth elements is mainly carried out in open-pit mines, which have serious environmental and social impacts:Water, air, and soil pollution.Heavy use of water and toxic chemicals.Radioactive waste.Loss of biodiversity.Health risks.Forced displacement of communities.Increased risk of economic inequality. "Rare" earth elements and other minerals considered "critical" are at the center of current debates over who controls their exploitation and production.As these are natural resources, often found in indigenous territories and critical ecosystems, a more urgent discussion is what kind of progress we want: one that encourages the excessive exploitation of resources, or one that respects the environment and people? If you would like to learn more about this topic, here are the links to the sources we consulted: USGS, Rare Earths Statistics and Information: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/rare-earths-statistics-and-inform… USGS, "Fact Sheet: Rare Earth Elements-Critical Resources for High Technology": https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2002/fs087-02/ Science History Institute, History and Future of Rare Earth Elements: https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/classroom-activities/role-playing-games/case-of-rare-earth… USGS, "The Rare Earth Elements-Vital to Modern Technologies and Lifestyles": https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2014/3078/pdf/fs2014-3078.pdf Institute for Environmental Research and Education, "What Impacts Does Mining Rare Earth Elements Have?": https://iere.org/what-impact-does-mining-rare-earth-elements-have/#environmental_impact_studiesLatin America’s opportunity in critical mineralsfor the clean energy transition: https://www.iea.org/commentaries/latin-americas-opportunity-in-critical-minerals-for-the-clean-ener…U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2025 : https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-rare-earths.pdf pg 145
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Victims in La Oroya call on the President of Peru to comply with the Inter-American Court ruling after nearly two years of delays
The group of victims recognized by the international court emphasizes the urgency of implementing the ruling on issues related to ending pollution in the city of La Oroya, providing comprehensive and specialized medical care, and paying compensation. La Oroya, Peru. Victims of decades of pollution caused by the operations of the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex sent a letter to the President of the Republic on December 19, 2025, urgently requesting compliance with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights' ruling ordering the Peruvian State to adopt comprehensive measures of justice and reparation. In the letter, part of the group of 80 victims recognized by the international court in the La Oroya v. Peru case, the group emphasizes compliance with the ruling on issues related to pollution prevention in the city, comprehensive and differentiated medical care, and the payment of compensation."Mr. President, do we have to wait another 20 years to obtain some kind of reparation? Since we began this long struggle, seven people from this group of victims have died without obtaining justice. Two of them, including a minor, died as a result of health damage caused by pollution in La Oroya, as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights confirmed in its ruling," the victims point out.Their request comes after almost two years of delays in the effective implementation of the ruling, notified on March 22, 2024, and after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights notified its interpretative judgment in November last year, in which it referred only to certain specific aspects of the original judgment that required further clarification to facilitate its execution. These points relate to health care measures, the relocation of affected persons, follow-up deadlines, compensation, and the acknowledgment of responsibility and a public apology.However, both the victims and the organizations supporting their struggle emphasize that, as established by the Inter-American Court, all orders in the original judgment are in force and fully enforceable from the moment they were issued in March 2024, with no legal impediment to immediate compliance.An essential step in achieving this is the urgent publication of the resolution determining jurisdiction by the Attorney General's Office."The victims have resorted to all legal and institutional mechanisms to access justice and see their rights restored. Today, preventing the population of La Oroya from continuing to be exposed to environmental pollution, guaranteeing comprehensive health care for those who have been affected by toxic metals, and ensuring the payment of compensation ordered by the Court are necessary and fully implementable steps for the Peruvian State to comply not only with its international obligations, but also with its fundamental duty to protect the life, health, and dignity of the people who inhabit its territory," said Rosa Peña, senior attorney at the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA). Christian Huaylinos, from the legal department of the Pro Human Rights Association (APRODEH), highlighted the importance of implementing the ruling throughout the country: "Several of the provisions ordered by the Court are relevant at the national level, meaning that they benefit Peruvian citizens in general in relation to pollution from mining and metallurgical activities. These include harmonizing national-level air quality regulations, guaranteeing respect for human rights and due diligence, and designing and implementing an air and water quality information system in areas of Peru with greater mining and metallurgical activity. In this regard, achieving timely and efficient compliance by the State represents the significance of the case for the benefit of all Peruvians."The victims emphasize that, given the clarifications made by the Inter-American Court in its interpretative judgment, there is no justification for the institutional delays that for more than two decades have prevented access to justice and reparation for the families affected by the pollution generated by the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex.This case has become one of the most important precedents in Latin America for protecting the rights to a healthy environment, clean air, and health, especially for communities exposed to highly polluting business operations. After more than 20 years of struggle, the victims hope that the Peruvian State will finally guarantee the justice and reparation ordered by the Inter-American Human Rights System. The victims, the population of La Oroya, and the organizations involved in the case reiterate their willingness to collaborate with the responsible institutions to ensure the effective implementation of all measures and to move toward comprehensive reparation and non-repetition.Press contactVíctor Quintanilla (Mexico), AIDA, [email protected], +521 5570522107
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What comes next after the High Seas Treaty enters into force?
The day finally arrived. On January 17, the High Seas Treaty—officially known as the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement)—came into force, thereby becoming international law. A historic milestone that took more than two decades to achieve, the treaty establishes for the first time a legal framework to protect biodiversity in the high seas—whose waters cover almost half the planet and belong to all countries—and to ensure that the benefits derived from its resources are distributed equitably worldwide. The implementation of the treaty was activated on September 19, 2025, upon reaching its sixtieth ratification. As of January 15, this year, 83 countries are already States Parties to the agreement. Ratification means that countries, in addition to signing the treaty, give their formal consent to it, often by ensuring that their national laws are consistent with it.But what comes next with the entry into force of the High Seas Treaty? Legal obligations for States With its entry into force, the States Parties to the agreement must begin to comply with a series of legal obligations contained therein. Although some depend on the functioning of the treaty's bodies and mechanisms, others are applicable immediately, including the following:Publicly notify any planned activities under its control that may affect biodiversity in the high seas or on the seabed. These activities must follow the environmental impact assessment processes established by the treaty.Promote the agreement's goals when participating in decision-making forums with other international organizations, such as those that regulate maritime shipping, fishing, and deep-sea mining.Notify and report on matters related to compliance with requirements concerning marine genetic resources, sharing of non-monetary benefits, and cooperation for technology transfer and capacity building. Regarding the last point, the treaty establishes a Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM), a source of knowledge that many countries—especially developing ones—would not otherwise have access to. In general terms, the implementation of the agreement will include, among its most visible obligations, issues of cooperation and coordination between countries based on mechanisms established by the agreement and through links with existing international legal instruments that have historically been applied in isolation. Proposals for marine protected areas on the high seas One of the main goals of the treaty is the creation and proper management of marine protected areas (MPAs) on the high seas to conserve and restore the rich biodiversity found in the ocean.With the treaty now in force, this task cannot begin immediately because its implementation requires the functioning of specific bodies and mechanisms, including the treaty Secretariat, which will receive MPA proposals, and the Scientific and Technical Body, which will evaluate them and issue recommendations on their adoption to the Conference of the Parties.However, countries can begin now with the broad consultation process stipulated in the treaty to develop proposals for MPAs or other area-based management tools (ABMTs), which must be based on the best available scientific and traditional knowledge.Although it is up to countries to propose and then decide on the establishment of areas to be declared reserves for protection on the high seas, there are efforts from civil society to advance this issue. For example, the High Seas Alliance—a coalition of organizations in which AIDA serves as regional coordinator for Latin America—has preliminarily identified eight MPA proposals of high environmental value: three are in the Atlantic (Lost City, Sargasso Sea, and Walvis Ridge), four in the Pacific (Thermal Dome, Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges, Emperor Seamounts, and South Tasman Sea), and one in the Indian Ocean (Saya de Malha).The alliance is supporting the governments of Costa Rica and Chile in developing proposals for MPAs located in international waters adjacent to Latin America—the Thermal Dome and Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges. The first decision-making meeting of the agreement No later than one year after the High Seas Treaty enters into force—that is, at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027—its first Conference of the Parties (COP1) will take place, where key aspects for its implementation and the realization of its benefits will be decided.Only countries that have ratified the agreement may participate in decision-making; the rest may do so as observers. Countries that have only signed the treaty have a good-faith obligation to refrain from acts that defeat its purpose.Ahead of COP1, meetings of the Preparatory Commission are being held to develop proposals on the treaty's institutional architecture (its bodies and decision-making processes), which will be presented for adoption at the conference. With this historic milestone, another key phase now begins: implementation, which will translate it into concrete and lasting measures for the health of the ocean. Its impact will depend on how it is collectively applied and respected. And its effectiveness will be greater when all countries join the agreement.
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