Allegations of links to paramilitary groups The Dutch peace movement PAX begun researching the experiences of victims of violence in the Cesar mining region of Colombia in 2011, and published its research findings in a June 2014 report called The Dark Side of Coal: Paramilitary Violence in the Mining Region of Cesar'. In September 2016 PAX published a new report on paramilitary violence in the Cesar mining region.

The report describes how, from 1996 onwards, paramilitaries from the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) started operating in the vicinity of Drummond and Prodeco mining concessions and along Drummond's railway line in Cesar. The AUC created a new front in this area, the Juan Andrés Álvarez Front, which quickly grew to 600 members. The fear and terror this front spread among the local population was horrific: on the basis of national police figures, it is conservatively estimated that between 1996 and 2006 this front drove over 55,000 farmers from their land, committed at least 2,600 selective killings, murdered an estimated 500 people in massacres, and ‘disappeared' more than 240 people.

Testimonies, made under oath in legal proceedings by ex-paramilitary leaders and Drummond's ex-contractors and supplemented with detailed interviews conducted later by PAX, indicate that the mining companies Drummond and Prodeco supported the paramilitaries in several ways.

These witnesses state:

• that Drummond requested the establishment of Juan Andrés Álvarez Front, specifically to defend the company's mine and railway operations;
• that both mining companies supported the paramilitaries financially and materially. A Drummond contractor who has been convicted for this support has handed over his entire administration, disclosing what according to him shows the financial ties between Drummond and the paramilitaries;
• that the mining companies cooperated with the paramilitaries by sharing intelligence and discussing the general paramilitary strategy in the mining region with AUC commanders.

Drummond has denied the allegations that were made against them, and a summary of its response is given in the Dark Side of Coal report. In March 2015 Drummond also filed a lawsuit against American and Colombian human rights lawyers (Colombia Reports, 2015).

In May 2015 a former executive of Drummond was interrogated over his alleged involvement with the murder of two trade unionists, after former paramilitaries claimed they were financed by Drummond and coordinated the murders with the company. This case is now to be decided by Colombia’s Courts of Justice. It followed from the conviction of a former contractor for Drummond in February 2013, who was sentenced by a Colombian court to 38 years in prison for organizing the killing of two labour leaders in 2001 BHRRC, accessed May 2016.

Benefitting from paramilitary violence In addition to the evidence of these testimonies, it is clear that Drummond has, in various ways, benefited from the human rights abuses committed by the AUC, and that they continue to do so to this day. For example: forced displacement of communities carried out by the Juan Andrés Álvarez Front has cleared the path for land to be sold to Drummond for the expansion of its mining projects (detailed in Chapter 7 of the Dark Side of Coal report). In addition, the violence and threats by the paramilitaries against trade union leaders and civil society organisations has weakened and curtailed the activities of these groups.

Labour standards In June 2015 Drummond and Prodeco together fired a total of 26 leaders of the regional section of the largest independent labour union in Cesar, Sintraminergetica. This move has hugely damaged the already weakened independent labour movement. The companies argue that they were involved in a strike in 2012 that was declared illegal (PAX, 2015).

"For several years, farmers and residents of the mines have been complaining about the enormous impacts that arise in the course of coal mining. The dangerous dust clouds that result from blasting the coal out of the ground, affect the health of local residents. A study in 2011 showed that 50% of the Colombian population suffer from diseases of the respiratory tract due to the strong emissions from the industry. (Deutschlandfunk)

Every day approximately 160,000 tons of coal are transported from the mines to the Caribbean coast. The rail cars are not covered during transport, resulting in the coal dust being distributed through the entire region, including coal dust and dirt entering rivers and fields. Even the rain water is deep black and cannot be used as drinking water, nor to irrigate the land. According to media reports, the river Paraluz was polluted by the derailment of a number of rail cars carrying coal belonging to the company Prodeco in April 2014. (Deutsche Welle)

The carbon storage at the ports is no less dangerous for the residents. The coal dust blows from these ports deep into the country and affects humans, animals and agricultural production. In addition, when coal is loaded onto cargo ships further dust is blown off resulting in serious pollution of the sea.(Deutsche Welle) At the end of 2013 the Drummond Group of companies were convicted and sentenced to a fine of 6.965 million pesos (3.58 million U.S. dollars) due to contamination of the Bay of Santa Marta. This contamination occurred in January 2012 when a barge on the point of sinking offloaded several tons of coal in the main tourist area of Santa Maria.(Hispanically Speaking News) This progressive destruction and endangerment of the marine ecosystem leads to a significant decline in fish stocks, impacting the livelihood of many fisherman who depend on the local area."  Facing Finance, 2014.