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Article

19 Mar 2018

Author:
Swedwatch

Human rights defender warns of risks related to Colombian Hydropower plant

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Swedish companies Atlas Copco and Scania are suppliers to the construction of Colombia’s biggest hydroelectric power plant, Hidroituango. Since the project started, the local movement Rios Vivos has reported on severe human rights impacts linked to the construction of the plant.

In early March, Isabel Zuleta, local leader of Ríos Vivos, visited Sweden to inform companies, politicians and NGO’s of new risks... 

[T]he Ríos Vivos movement has experienced an increase in threats by paramilitary groups...

Isabel Zuleta met with Swedish parlamentarians, asking them to sign a letter to the Colombian government demanding protection for the members of Ríos Vivos...

[S]he [also] said [...] “The companies need to understand the risks that they are facing when they participate in these projects. In many parts of Colombia, the armed conflict is still a reality. The guerilla is gone but there are more paramilitaries and in many ways the conflict continues.” ...

Since 2015, Scania and Atlas Copco [...] are committed to working actively on human rights issues, environmental issues and anticorruption in the country, in a joint initiative with the Swedish Embassy...

Scania and Atlas Copco declined to comment on the issues brought up in this article...