This governmental opportunism is reflected, among other things, in the attempts to subject Regional Autonomous Agencies –regional environmental authorities –to presidential orders.

This implies the centralization of regional environmental control and management into the Environment Ministry, which is a serious attack against the principles of territoriality and decentralization in force according to the Colombian Constitution.

With reference to this, MP Wilson Arias Castillo has called social actors of Valle del Cauca to discuss this governmental attack and its implications.
Arias Castillo denounces the attempts by the national government to put all State institutions to the service of extractive industries, agribusiness, “biotrade”, and mining.

In an interview with Real World Radio, Arias Castillo explained the real reasons behind the supposed fight against corruption in the Regional Autonomous Agencies: “They want environmental decisions to depend more on the orders of transnational corporations than on the interests of the population who is willing to mobilize, but it is often betrayed by the Executive.”

Arias Castillo also pointed out the elimination of the Family Agricultural Unit, a system that prevented land grabbing since it banned the purchase of over 1 thousand hectares by transnational corporations.

The Colombian left-wing representative also highlighted the meanings of having regional environmental decisions taken at the level of the Environment Ministry, far away from local communities and social organizations.

He also made reference to the implications of the Development Plan promoted by the Santos’ administration, as part of the World Bank proposal for Latin America.

Finally, he talked about how transnational corporations in the region –especially Brazil – are involved in megaprojects and land grabbing.

Radio Mundo Real

Photo: kcectv.com