About 6 mines are disassembled per day in the Government of Change.
The National Police, carried out an operation that left the destruction of 8 backhoes and the intervention on 8 illegal mines in rural area of Tumaco.
While the consolidation of the National Government's Defense and Security Policy advances, operations against the illicit extraction of mining deposits continue to be conducted, with the finding of 421 items of yellow machinery, including motor pumps, backhoes, dredgers and engines used for criminal mining, from August 7, 2022 to date.
“As the operations advance with strength against the illicit extraction of minerals, criminal organizations obtain less profits and therefore it is leading to their weakening, which is the purpose of the national Government; within that purpose, an instruction has benne given to the Police to increase these operations in the highest possible numbers, as a contribution to Total Peace,” said Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez.
This is how in the last few hours, in the middle of an operation in the rural area of Tumaco, Nariño and in coordination with the Prosecutor's Office and the Army, it was possible to destroy 8 backhoes that were committing crimes such as the loss of natural resources in this area of the country; in addition, to 2 engines; 8 illegal mines have been intervened on the Patía River.
With this operation, the dumping of approximately 55 kilograms of mercury to nearby tributaries is prevented.
On the other hand, in the same period, in compliance with Decree 2235 of 2012, which authorizes the destruction of these mechanized elements, the National Police has carried out 312 operations throughout the national territory, mainly in five regions of the country.
“174 municipalities out of the 1,102 municipalities that Colombia has, are being hit by illegal exploitation of mining deposits, specifically for gold extraction. That is why the National Police focuses its main efforts in five areas of the country, Antioquia and southern Bolivar; Chocó and Caldas; Nariño, Valle and Cauca; Amazonas, Putumayo and Caquetá; the fifth region is Guainía and Vichada,” said Colonel William Castaño, director of the Police's Carabineros and Environmental Protection Directorate.
Among other elements, the destruction of 846 backhoes, dredgers, motor pumps, engines and the finding of 13 kilograms of solid precursors (mercury and gold), as well as 368 gallons of liquid precursors (DIESEL and gasoline) stand out.
“This government is and will continue to work with the guidelines for the conservation of life, water resources, fauna and flora and no instruction has been given to not fulfill the constitutional functions, the operations of the Military Forces continue,” Minister Velásquez explained.
He in the same way highlighted that, as a contribution to the defense of life, the protection of the environment and natural resources, since the Petro Government began to date, 951 mines have been intervened, demonstrating that Colombia can become a world power of life.
Source: Defense Sector Communications Office - Ministry of National Defense
