This petition is now closed. The letter, with 260 signatures, was delivered electronically to the executive board of Glencore, the Presidential office of Colombia and the Colombian Chancellery.
(en español debajo)
Glencore, the multi-billion dollar Swiss mining giant, is using the controversial Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism to sue Colombia (to learn more about ISDS, read this report). So far, Glencore has filled four ISDS cases against Colombia. In August 2019, the ISDS tribunal ordered Colombia to pay 19 million USD. Two further cases have yet to be decided, but for Glencore, this is not enough – a new multi-million dollar lawsuit was recently filed on 16 November 2023 concerning mining.
In 2017, the Colombian Constitutional Court ruled in favour of Indigenous communities in La Guajira to protect the Bruno River from an expansion of the huge Cerrejón open-pit coal mine. Glencore said the Court’s decision was discriminatory, unreasonable and arbitrary, denying them “fair and equitable treatment”, and they filed to sue for an undisclosed amount.
We see this as a clear case of corporate abuse, trying to undermine a sovereign nation’s legislature to boost profits. We want Glencore to know that the world is watching and to send a clear message to the head of the company – drop the lawsuit, and return the Bruno River to its natural course!
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Glencore, es una multimillonaria transnacional minera Suiza, que está utilizando el controvertido mecanismo de demandas de empresas transnacionales en los tribunales de arbitraje internacional (ISDS, por sus siglas en inglés) para demandar a Colombia (Aprende sobre estas demandas.) Hasta ahora, Glencore ha interpuesto cuatro demandas ISDS contra Colombia. En agosto de 2019, el tribunal ISDS ordenó a Colombia pagar 19 millones de USD. Otros dos casos aún no se han resuelto, pero esto no es suficiente y recientemente, el 16 de noviembre de 2023, se presentó una nueva demanda en relacion a negocios de minería.
En 2017, la Corte Constitucional colombiana falló a favor de las comunidades indígenas de La Guajira para proteger el arroyo Bruno de la ampliación de la enorme mina de carbón térmico a cielo abierto Cerrejón. Glencore dijo que la decisión de la Corte era discriminatoria, irrazonable y arbitraria, negándoles un “trato justo y equitativo”, y ha presentado una demanda por una cantidad no revelada.
Consideramos que se trata de un claro caso de abuso empresarial, que intenta socavar el poder legislativo de una nación soberana para aumentar sus beneficios económicos. Queremos que Glencore sepa que el mundo está observando y enviar un mensaje claro al jefe de la compañía: ¡Retire la demanda! Y ¡Devuelva el arroyo Bruno a su cause natural!
Glencore and its operations in Colombia have enjoyed corporate impunity. After ignoring High Court rulings and even suing the country for trying to protect Indigenous people, it’s time for Glencore to see some accountability!
Tell Glencore to drop its lawsuit against Colombia and to respect Indigenous people in La Guajira, sign the petition!