Coal Connects Colombia and Chile

Why this is here: Over 80,000 hectares of land in Colombia’s Cesar department have been transformed into open-pit coal mines, swallowing many sacred sites belonging to the Yukpa people.

From Colombia’s Caribbean coast to the Huasco commune in Chile, coal travels over 6000 kilometers to fuel the country’s largest thermoelectric complex. The Yukpa people of Colombia see their ancestral lands mined for this coal without their consent, losing access to sacred sites and traditional food sources. Mining operations began in the 1980s, and despite a 2023 court victory recognizing their land rights, little has changed for the community.

Meanwhile, residents of Huasco, a town of about 6,000 people, breathe polluted emissions from the coal-fired plants. Scientific investigations reveal black dust containing harmful particles and heavy metals covers homes and plants. In 2025, Chile imported over 4 million tons of coal, with over a million tons arriving at the port of Huasco, much of it originating from Drummond Ltd. mines in Colombia.

Chile plans to close many of its coal plants, but five in Huasco lack a clear shutdown plan, and the health impacts on the community remain largely unproven despite evidence of related illnesses. Both the Yukpa and the people of Huasco bear the costs of energy production while receiving few benefits.