«Il n‘y a pas un monde développé et un monde sous-développé, mais un seul monde mal développé»
PRESS RELEASE
Junta Social de la Comunidad de Tabaco / Resistencia Activa Ya! / Swiss Coalition against Glencore / Colectivo Jaguar / CETIM
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Between the 20 and 25 of June 2025, representatives of the Afro-descendant community of Tabaco (La Guajira, Colombia) were in Geneva to address the multilateral human rights system regarding violations of their fundamental rights linked to the activities of the multinational corporation Glencore.
On Friday, 20 June, during the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Inés Pérez Arragoces, leader of the community, spoke on behalf of her people to denounce the systematic violations committed by the Swiss multinational Glencore through the exploitation of the Cerrejón mine, the largest open-pit coal deposit in Latin America. The Colombian representative is participating in this advocacy tour as a representative of the Active Resistance Now coalition, which coordinates the struggles of communities affected by Glencore in several countries.
In her statement, delivered during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Ms. Pérez Arragoces recalled that her community was forcibly displaced in 2001 to allow for the expansion of the mine. Since then, it has faced an ecological and health catastrophe, marked by the destruction of ecosystems, the contamination of water sources and the slow poisoning of bodies.
“Our lands are poisoned, our water is contaminated, our children are sick,” she said, referring to the 2017 ruling T-329 of the Colombian Constitutional Court, which recognizes the damage to health, education, housing, dignity and work suffered by the population of Tabaco.
It is important to note that her intervention took place in a context of repression and criminalization of voices that rise up to demand justice. On 11 June, upon her arrival at Schiphol Airport (Netherlands) for a stopover before reaching Geneva, Ms. Pérez Arragoces was detained, humiliated and finally deported to Colombia by the Dutch authorities. The reasons given were varied—unfounded suspicions of drug trafficking and, subsequently, insufficient financial resources—despite the presentation of valid documents, an official invitation from the UN and guarantees of full coverage by the host organizations. This administrative violence is part of a pattern of racial profiling, which black women from the Global South too often suffer at Europe’s borders.
CETIM, an organization accredited to the UN, denounces this attempt at intimidation and the obstacle to the legitimate participation of a social activist in multilateral forums. We call on international institutions to guarantee unhindered access to UN mechanisms.
In the territories, and from international solidarity organizations, we will continue to fight, advocate and demand an end to corporate impunity. In this regard, Glencore must be sanctioned and provide fair, equitable and comprehensive financial compensation.
In this regard, the international advocacy work of the Tabaco community demands that the relevant mechanisms ensure the monitoring of the relocation process of the Tabaco community, so that it can be guaranteed in an appropriate territory that respects ancestral cultural practices. In this regard, a complaint will be filed in the coming days with the UN human rights protection mechanisms.
Watch the video of the UN debate and Inés’ speech at 28.24 minutes
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