October 17, 2025

Colombia’s beautiful Atrato River is turning into a dangerous trap! The United Nations has raised a loud alarm about mercury pollution caused by illegal gold mining along this vital river. This toxic mercury is causing a "serious and ongoing human rights crisis," especially for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities who depend on the river for their food, water, and culture. In a strong letter sent to Colombia’s government, three UN Human Rights Council experts expressed deep concerns. They say the government is not doing enough to follow a 2016 court ruling that gave the Atrato River legal rights to protection and restoration. Marcos Orellana, the UN special rapporteur on toxics, said, "Ten years have passed and we have seen that there has been insufficient implementation and compliance with the terms of that decision." He added that a big part of the problem is organized crime, including smuggling mercury and gold, plus corruption in the military and police. The Atrato River flows nearly 500 miles through Colombia’s Choco region, a place packed with rich jungles but marked by poverty. Many Afro-Colombian and Indigenous people live here, fishing and farming on a small scale. But their traditional lives are now on the edge, threatened by toxic mercury pollution from illegal mining. Illegal gold mining is a huge environmental villain in Latin America’s Amazon areas. Skyrocketing gold prices and poor monitoring make it easy for illegally mined gold to enter the world market. Mercury, used in mining to pull gold from soil, poisons fish and wildlife, including river dolphins, and damages the food chain that local people rely on. Last year’s reports showed that watchdogs in the local communities risk their lives fighting illegal mining. Orellana revealed shocking evidence that more than one-third of people living near the Atrato River have mercury poisoning above safe levels set by the World Health Organization. This is "incredibly concerning" because mercury can cause serious brain damage, organ failure, and birth defects. The 2016 Colombian court ruling was praised worldwide, seen as a landmark for environmental protection. But politics, lack of money, and corruption have blocked real action. Orellana said, "Complying with a court decision requires institutional commitment over the long term. Politics can interfere, and reality kicks in when budgets don't follow." Even after the UN experts sent a letter over 60 days ago demanding immediate action to stop illegal mining, clean up the river, and help sick people, the Colombian government has not responded. Colombia's presidential office and Environment Ministry did not comment when asked. The UN also warned about terrible human rights abuses connected to illegal mining—slavery-like work, forced prostitution, and people being forced out of their homes. Mercury poisoning and these abuses are all part of the same environmental and social disaster. Mercury was banned in Colombian mining in 2018, but in conflict zones run by armed groups, the ban is weakly enforced. Orellana said, "These forms of violence and violations of human rights accompany mercury contamination and must be treated as environmental crimes." He urged Colombia to lead the charge to tighten international mercury rules under the Minamata Convention, closing gaps that let illegal mining flourish. What would real progress look like? The area mined illegally should go down, health care and testing should be easy for affected people, and clear advice should be given to avoid mercury risks. Orellana said, "The human rights of victims are at stake. International law requires states to respect and guarantee rights—not for one day or for one week, but all the time."

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Tags: Illegal mining, Mercury contamination, Atrato river, Colombia, Human rights, Indigenous communities,