ColombiaColombia has been a stable country to do business in for a long time. The election of Petro, a former guerrilla leader (1980's) and a socialist caused many investors to shun investment in the country since he was elected. Petro's platform was to put a 10% tax on energy and gold. After they realized Gold miners like Aris, Soma et al, have offtake agreements with artisinal miners that the tax would hurt the little guy. The 10% tax on gold was eliminated from discussions and the last I heard they wanted to remove a small tax on gold that's be in place for years.
Many gold and silver investors are conservatives in nature. They hear "socialist" and they immediately think Colombia is the next Venezuela. The bond and forex market has put shackles on the Petro administration as they dumped bonds (interest rates soared) and Colombian Pesos (plummeted). Hence, just like any political comapaign a lot of stuff is said leading up to an election that can't be implemented in reality. The Petro government, like other South American leaders, drifted from the left and now govern towards the center.
One thing the Petro government will not bend on NOT is issuing permits for open pit mining operations. So long as its underground, permitting should be relatively smooth sailing.