After five days of blockades, artisanal miners opened passage in the Zaragoza sector on the Buga-Buenaventura route. Dialogues continue in other affected areas of Valle del Cauca.
Valle del Cauca Governor Dilian Francisca Toro confirmed the reopening of the Zaragoza sector. The measure was achieved after a technical roundtable involving the regional government, the ministries of Interior and Environment, the Attorney General’s Office and the Ombudsman’s Office.
Toro stated on her X account that the unblocking brings relief to thousands of families and productive sectors that suffered economic losses during the closures. She stressed that restoring mobility is key to protecting jobs and the supply of food and medicine.
The blockades disrupted the daily flow of between 3,000 and 4,600 vehicles, generating estimated losses of up to 5.6 billion pesos per day, according to Colfecar. Nidia Hernández, the guild’s executive president, noted that closing strategic corridors should not become a recurring pressure tactic.
