ONE-WAY TICKET TO DEVELOPMENT? An in-depth analysis on the stakeholders in the Colombian gold mining sector and their main challenges to convert the sector to a motor of development

Abstract

The current development policy of the Colombian government, in which the mining industry is named as one of the locomotives to push the economy forward, is causing the unfettered entrance of multinational large-scale gold mining companies. The entrance of the gold mining companies meets with suspiciousy, and in a some cases even resistance, in the communities that host the projects of these companies. By analyzing the stakeholders in the industry in depth, this research categorizes the responses of hosting communities and sets forth five drivers that cause these responses. These five drivers lay the foundation for a number of recommendations, in which the national government of Colombia, as a regulator of the private sector, plays a crucial role. One important starting point is to include the interests of and power relations between the stakeholders, and trace how the dynamic power postions of the stakeholders can be adjusted or utilized to pursue development through the gold mining sector.