"As the sun sets over the Colombian Amazon, construction worker Pablo Portillo observes the canopy. Titi monkeys swing in the treetops as the Mocoa River roars nearby. For four years, he and his family have lived quietly in this biodiverse gateway to the Amazon, where the Andes descend into the rainforest, home to mountain tapirs, spectacled bears and vital rivers. But Portillo, 46, fears this peaceful landscape is at risk."
"Canadian company Copper Giant Resources has been exploring nearby mountains with a view to opening one of Colombia's largest copper mines. Beneath Mocoa lie an estimated 2m tonnes of copper, a transition metal vital for clean energy in wind turbines and batteries. Copper Giant holds four permits for the exploration and possible development of copper and molybdenum, and has expanded its land in Mocoa to more than 136,000 hectares (337,000 acres) by acquiring Grupo Minera Sol in June."
Mocoa lies at the edge of the Colombian Amazon where the Andes drop into biodiverse rainforest habitat supporting titi monkeys, mountain tapirs, spectacled bears and vital rivers. Canadian company Copper Giant Resources holds multiple exploration permits and expanded holdings to over 136,000 hectares after acquiring Grupo Minera Sol, with estimated underground copper of about 2 million tonnes. Copper demand is rising for wind turbines and batteries, with the IEA projecting significant growth and potential supply shortfalls this decade. Local communities fear ecosystem destruction, water contamination and livelihood loss while the government prioritizes securing transition minerals.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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