Just so you know: A part of the Regional Politics section from IKN690, out Sunday.
Colombia has a new President and an Anti-Miner as Minister of Mines and Energy
I write these words on Saturday afternoon but by the time you read them, Colombia will have a new President as Gustavo Petro is sworn in this Sunday, August 7th. Also this weekend, we finally got the name of the person nominated as Minister of Mines and Energy. That’s Irene Vélez and if there were any doubts up to now about the policies we’re going to get from the new Petro government concerning mining, this should dispel them all. Irene Vélez Torres is an academic, activist and professor at a Colombia university. She formed part of Petro’s handover team and was first tipped to be the Minister of Science, but instead has been given the job of running the Mines and Energy Ministry. Her interdisciplinary qualifications include Political Geography, Philosophy and holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies. She has worked on studies documenting the effects of mercury pollution from mining companies and glysophate (RoundUp) pollution from Big Agro companies on communities, as well as the effects of the drop in water tables caused by mining operations on the agricultural production of local communities.