Colombia's Constitutional Court overrules municipal right to ban mining
Colombias Constitutional Court overrules municipal right to ban mining
by Adriaan Alsema October 12, 2018
Colombias constitutional court has overruled local mining bans after the local subsidiary of Chinese and Indian oil companies appealed one of these bans.
The ruling in favor of Mansarovar Energy is a huge blow to the local communities that want to ban mining in their municipalities, and a major victory for oil and mining companies and the national government.
Bogota is facing major lawsuits for failing to honor international trade agreements as a consequence of local referendums that banned oil and mining activity, rendering mining titles against the law.
According to the Constitutional Court, municipal governments cannot ban oil and mining activity as Colombias soil and subsoil is property of the State, and should be regulated by the national government.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-constitutional-court-overrules-municipal-right-to-ban-mining/