DESPITE the fact that this newspaper and some opinion leaders from Santander have made several complaints about the situation of contamination and growing crime that occurs around the illegal extraction of gold in the area of the Pramo de Santurbn, nothing seems to change and nobody seems to be worried enough to take due seriousness about it. Many extremely dangerous consequences derive from illegal mining in Soto Norte, one of which is mercury contamination of the basins of the La Baja stream and the Surat river, which is one of the tributaries that supplies the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Aqueduct.
Despite the fact that this fact, which has already been confirmed by our journalists' sources, is extremely risky since it implies a high risk for at least one million inhabitants of the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, the institutional response found is almost nil. Seen in another way, we may be suffering a process of contamination with highly toxic chemicals in the water from sources that are used, among other things, to irrigate crops on the sidewalks of the area, which are for our consumption and which, obviously, They are taken directly, without any treatment.
But, in addition to this critical problem of contamination, on which little reaction is seen, even from regional environmental groups, in our journalistic investigations we have obtained confirmation of a profound deterioration of the social fabric in the pramo area, which is taking place by illegal mining groups that, at the same time, are establishing a fearsome criminal network with which they intend not only to protect their illegal activity and constrain the inhabitants of the area, but also to establish their market inside and outside the metropolitan area.
And, in the meantime, we continue to wait for the authorities to manifest and act, as they are required to do, for example the Cdmb, the entity that is responsible for the inspection, control and surveillance of these poisonous discharges that illegal mining directs towards water sources. keys for thousands of people. But, in addition, the government, the municipalities that directly have the problem, civic forces, environmental groups, etc. should manifest themselves. As we have said and repeated from this newspaper, what is happening in Soto Norte is a situation that sooner rather than later has the potential to become our biggest problem, with a very negative impact on security, the economy and society in general. its set.