The Real "Joke" of the matter This constant feed of cheap rag news artcles out of Colombia is ALL bias & based on sensationalized efforts to maintain utter confusion as to the mining development in the Santurban & else where in Colombia. All these "red flag" POVs are nefariously self-promoted for payoffs, at best. I call them the Santurban "blood-letters", leeches >> scum of the Earth. Whether it be journalist, politicians, even judges all seeking leverage & rank within a system of governance ripe with corruption at it's denigrading worst. Confusion is the mask that bribery & kick-backs hide behind.
Seems that Colombia's "noble" (joke) approach will be in the defense of the environment, appealing to an enormous, Worldwide, unified group ready to create as much resistance as Colombia's inner corruption will withstand, before being exposed at it's rotten roots. The decaying stems of rampant mercury poisoning, slave labor youth's grave illness/death, amplified storm water erosion, biological species destruction, remain in place as long as the former strong men of the resistance pay up their under the table dues. Colombia is the poster child of deceiving intents & purposes, and has been exposed already in the case of Costigo & Colombia's last minute creation of: Yaigoji Apaporis National Park. It's not that Colombia is a bastion for Global Warming, no rather a protector of the criminal "status quo".
This is plainly motivating all parties in Colombia to line up & get their cut, with the Bucaramanga Mayor evidently being cut out of the bribery food chain. Colombia is without question going to assert that their sovereign rights have been violated by the FTA & that Eco Oro would create serious harm to the water supply of 2 million users. Very hard to prove given Eco Oro spent a $million on a water treatment plant. Colombia has been framing out their case for several years now & stand a 50/50 chance of winning in arbitration. Yet I am sure their tactics will be exposed with forth-right vigor by Nigel Blackaby/Freshfields. Remember water preservation rights are fundamental tenants to all Countries/peoples.
The only way I see Eco Oro prevailing is exposure of duplicit acts by Colombia's renewal of permits routinely taken with assurances, while rigorously employing step by step erosion of the use of the concession by systematic erection of barriers. This strategy taken in tandem with the "E'Codes" intensive Finding of Facts conducted by Colombia's most reputable land use firm may just prevail. If in fact the Paramo criteria have no hydro/botanical/geological findings on Eco Oro lands, then it comes down to Colombia proving elsewise, good luck Colombia. They'll need it at that point.
I have to believe that Freshfields will be basing their damages on the estimated amount of gold on the entire Eco Oro concession(s), a minimum of 15 million ounces, the whittling down of resources by Colombia has been going on (with Eco Oro Management accomodation) for many many years. It is criminal that Anna's only view was to sell everyone of us down the river to highly enrich her/accomplices own bank accounts. That was her response to all these years of wasted millions suffered by we stakeholders.
EX:
15 million ounces - measured &/or indicated (under the original understanding of open pit mining.)
@ $50 USD per oz. = $750 Million
@ $75 USD = 1.125 Billion
@ $100 USD = 1.5 Billion
Something most definitely is up, no reply from Wolfe or others, so we shall see, maybe after a permit is issued to the AUX concession?? There are so many other better investments while we ride the arrow down. GLTA