The mining companies, together with the communities, advisors and authorities, formulated a Resettlement Action Plan (PAR), in which different variables associated with the population dynamics, vulnerability, economy and culture of each population were identified, and based on this information, action plans were created for the reestablishment of the communities’ livelihoods.   

Although the PAR was progressing as ordered, in 2020 the public health measures adopted by the national government in the Covid-19 pandemic affected mining operations and also the PAR’s activities.  Additionally, in November of the same year, the company CNR declared itself in a business reorganization process and, consequently, temporarily suspended its obligations with PAR’s activities. 

In the midst of this scenario, in April 2021 the Government made two new decisions regarding the resettlement process:

1.

The National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA) issued Writ 2382 of April 23, 2021, in which it ordered the mining companies to individualize the obligations in the execution of the PAR, so that no company would depend on the other to comply with this requirement. 

The individualization plans were formulated by the mining companies with the following considerations: 

• Plan Bonito

This community was entirely resettled in 2014 under the individual modality and the PAR closure progress reached approximately 95%.  Under this scenario, the mining companies requested ANLA to allow them to continue working jointly.  ANLA accepted this request through Resolution 01640 of September 16, 2021.

• El Hatillo 

The mining companies presented an individualization plan for resettlement in individual modality, since they indicated that the collective modality could not be completely individualized, because there were actions that had to be carried out jointly. 

ANLA issued Auto 7674 of September 15, 2021, by means of which it rejected the arguments presented by the companies and required them to formulate a joint individualization program for the collective modality.    

In September 2022, the companies submitted a joint individualization plan for the collective modality, which was accepted by ANLA through Resolution 2743 of November 18, 2022. 

2. 

• Boqueron 

The ANLA modified the first article of Resolution 970 of 2010 and determined that the community of Boqueron should not be resettled given that this population center does not belong to any category or classification of contamination source area. Instead, it ordered the implementation of a Socioeconomic Management Plan (PMS).