The North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee Blog

Major players in Colombia's coal industry, including the Minister of Mines, the President of the Cerrejon coal company, and the President of Drummond's mining division, are speaking today at a highpowered international coal conference at a luxury resort in Key Biscayne: Coaltrans Americas, "The International Networking Event for the North and South American Coal Markets."

We will be there! The North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee is working with Mountain Justice Summer and other organizations (see list below) to organize a protest outside the meeting, and we have a person on the inside who will be distributing our literature and asking some hard questions.

For those of us who are not there, we can take the opportunity to support the protest and SEND A FAX to some of these players. The fax number for guests at the resort is 305-365-4505.

If you want to write to Leon Teicher, the President of Cerrejon you could express satisfaction that the union contract was successfully signed yesterday, but point out that the company continues to violate the human rights of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities in the area. We support the rights of the displaced residents of Tabaco and Bahia Portete, and the right to collective negotiation, collective relocation, and compensation for all communities affected by the mine (Tabaco, Roche, Chancleta, Patilla, Tamaquito).

If you want to write to Mike Tracy, president of Drummond's mining division, you could mention the unsolved murders of union leaders Valmore Locarno, Victor Orcasita, and Gustavo Soler, and the growing evidence of ties between Drummond management and the paramilitaries. You could also mention that you are aware the Essent Energy in Holland and Dong Energy in Denmark have decided not to renew contracts with Drummond until the Company's involvement in the murders is clarified.

If you want to write to Hernan Martinez Torres, Colombia's Minister of Mines and Energy, you could remind him of the congressional hearings on January 19 on Coal, Mining and Energy, in which Sen. Jorge Robledo said "Martinez Torres is not Colombia's Minister of Mines, he is foreign capital's Minister of Mines." The hearings examined the high levels of violence and human rights violations in the coal mining regions, and the lack of any return to the population on the resources extracted.

Please let them know that even at their exclusive resort, we are watching! Send a fax today!!

A description of their panel presentation, and a list of the organizations organizing the protest, are below, fyi.

Avi

ON TODAY'S PROGRAM

0915 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: OUTLOOK FOR COLOMBIAN COAL PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS TO NORTH AMERICA

Regulatory developments affecting the coal industry Forecast for the growth of the coal sector

Export logistics and the role of the Ministry of Mines and Energy

Investment opportunities for international players

Hernán Martínez Torres, Minister of Mines and Energy, Government of the Republic of Colombia

0935 DRUMMOND’S CONTINUED EXPANSION DRIVE AND VIEW ON THE COAL INDUSTRY’S DEVELOPMENT

Forecast for output and exports in 2007 and beyond

Growth strategy: Investment in greenfield and brownfield projects and infrastructure

Enduring challenges for Colombian coal producers

Mike Tracy, President - Mining Division, Drummond Company Inc.

0955 CERREJÓN COAL: ANALYZING DEMAND AND SUPPLY FOR COLOMBIA’S MAJOR EXPORT MARKETS

Current and projected production

Assessment of demand in established and new markets

How will Colombia retain its status as a world-class coal producer?

León Teicher, President, Cerrejón Coal

1015 DEVELOPMENTS IN COLOMBIAN COAL EXPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Analyzing existing infrastructure

Where are the bottlenecks? Views on coal commercialization constraints

Requirements for sustained growth of coal exports

Producer’s perspective: Coalcorp’s projects and infrastructure developments

Efrain Carrera Saud, President, Coalcorp Colombia

1035 Questions and Discussion

Organizations supporting the protest:

Mountain Justice Summer (Southern Appalachia region: Kentucky, Tennesee, Virginia, and West Virginia), Save It Now Glades (Glades County, FL) Bridges Across Borders (Gainesville, FL), Yat Kitischee Native Center (Naples, FL), Miami Sierra Club, Beehive Collective (international), Jeaga Earth First! (South Florida), and Rising Tide North America (continental network confronting the root causes of climate change).

posted by Alan  # 11:13 AM