Illegal mining and other activities are destroying the heart of the world space for

everyone and by the Wiwas.

For years the Wiwas, an indigenous community from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta or
also known like the heart of the world, have tried to confront companies that do illegal
activities on the natural territory and destroy it. Paéz (2019) says that Although the
government “has tried” to really intervenes, there has not been an effort to end these
activities that they do out in territory that should be protected. In the area there are other
communities that have faced the same situations and that this first affects the life of the
ecosystems and also destroys their culture and history.

The mining and other activities have damaged the environment and end the cultures in the
territory, for this reason it is important that society intervene and avoid further damage.

The Wiwa indigenous community are one of the four communities that live in the Sierra
Nevada de Santa Marta (Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia, s. f.). They have a
population of approximately 10000 people and are part of the history of the Pre-columbian
age in Colombia. Their native language is DANAMA and they have always been guided by
their beliefs of natural land as a sacred space (Organización Nacional Indígena de
Colombia, s. f.). For this This Community have been fighting against mining activities and
other that affect of negative form their territories (Paéz, 2019).

Mining is an activity that consists in to extract valuable elements from the floor, and in the
Corazón del mundo the floorl is very rich in all this elements (Salazar, 2020). It is
important to clarify that La Sierra is protected territory and this activities that take place
today are illegal (Paéz, 2019). Against this activity and the enormous damage that it causes,
the indigenous people have been fighting for years and none entity or government
intervenes (Salazar, 2020).

I believe that the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a vital place for the country and world,
for a reason they call it the heart of the world, and I believe that because of it’s history and
because of the peoples that live in it, it is sacred territory that should not be used for
mining.
Mining in this areas is illegal and this means that there isn’t control over the groups that do
it this activities (Paéz, 2019). Violence has become very present in this groups that kill all
who oppose them and aren’t careful about damaging our territory (Paéz, 2019).

José Mario Bolívar, territorial and environmental coordinator of the Wiwa indigenous
community, says that "Illegal mining leads to the creation of criminal groups that threaten
its inhabitants in addition to the land." Bolivar also comments that “Everything is for the
defense and protection of our territories. This is a subject of systematic stigmatization at the
national level and even more so in this territory [Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta].

I think that this is definitely a case of environmental discrimination. This communities are
protected like all for by human rights and must be protected by the government.

The Wiwas as well as other indigenous communities in the Sierra and all the country must
be protected for the wealth and cultural importance in their territories and in their cultures.
Their languages, their customs, their traditions are elements that must remain and as
population of Colombia, no matter conditions, we must know them (Salazar, 2020).

According to Paéz (2019) the indigenous peoples of Colombia have been defenders of
peace. They have safeguarded knowledge and cultures that today provide a sustainable
vision of life and territory. On the other hand, they are also the main guardians of the
world's forests, or example thanks to their ancestral practices the conservation of
biodiversity is possible (Salazar, 2020).

I think it’is important to take care of our history and our ancestors and our territories. I
think it is time for different entities to act in favor of this communities and protect them
from violence because of their importance to the country and the world.

The damage to the indigenous community of the Wiwas continues and the territories have
been affected, even violent groups have been born that further threaten these territories.
Many indigenous communities have been affected by illegal mining. The Wiwa territory is
one of areas that must be protected for it’s natural importance and as a sacred and
biodiverse space.

On the other hand, the social culture factor is also important and I believe that we must take
care of the delays and the contents of its history. Violence is a problem present in the
country that affects even those who have nothing to do with it and who only want to take
care of themselves and their lands.

REFERENCES

• Paéz, A. (2019, 12 diciembre). La minería ilegal azota al territorio wiwa. Semana.

Recuperado 3 de marzo de 2023, de https://www.semana.com/medio-
ambiente/articulo/la-mineria-ilegal-azota-al-territorio-wiwa/47864/
• Salazar, M. (2020, 13 abril). Minería y megaproyectos invaden ‘Corazón del
mundo’ de Colombia. Noticias ambientales.
https://es.mongabay.com/2020/04/colombia-mineria-tierras-indigenas-sierra-
nevada-santa-marta/
• Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia. (s. f.). Wiwas. ONIC. Recuperado 4
de marzo de 2023, de https://www.onic.org.co/pueblos/1159-wiwa