In many developing countries, large-scale corporate ventures often promise significant growth, new employment, and infrastructure investments. However, the reality in places such as Colombia and Mexico shows how urgent it is to ensure that economic expansion is both sustainable and equitable.

The Cerrejón mining project in La Guajira, Colombia, and the contamination of the Río Santiago in Jalisco, Mexico, illustrate how business operations can endanger fundamental rights when oversight is weak and public institutions remain under-resourced. Although frameworks like the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Naciones Unidas, 2011) and the International Labour Organization’s core conventions (ILO, 2024) urge companies to act responsibly, local economies dependent on foreign and domestic investment often find themselves at a disadvantage when powerful corporate actors seek to minimize operational costs, even at the expense of basic social protections (Rodríguez & Tutasaura Castellanos, 2024).

In both La Guajira and Jalisco, state authorities recognize the potential benefits of attracting capital inflows—such as tax revenues, technology transfers, and job creation—yet frequently struggle to regulate these ventures effectively (World Bank Group, 2025). The result is that, in many instances, corporations appear to leverage their economic importance to negotiate exceptions to social policies or weaken enforcement mechanisms. This dynamic enables them to bypass labor, environmental, or human rights standards that might otherwise be strictly applied (Fisher & Malkin, 2020).

Meanwhile, local communities pay the price in the form of contaminated water, infringements on Indigenous rights, or unsafe working conditions. To avoid these pitfalls, developing economies require not just robust legal frameworks but also the political will and institutional capacity to enforce those frameworks without fear of losing corporate investment.

THE CERREJÓN MINE IN LA GUAJIRA, COLOMBIA

The Cerrejón mine in La Guajira has become synonymous with the social and environmental repercussions of large-scale coal extraction in Colombia. Local communities report that water sources have been diverted, depleted, or contaminated by mining activities, putting their health and agricultural livelihoods at risk (Cerrejón, 2023; Naciones Unidas, 2020). Although Cerrejón’s corporate reports note efforts to deliver substantial volumes of water to nearby populations (Cerrejón, 2023), observers question whether these measures sufficiently mitigate the disruption to natural water flows and the broader ecological damage.

Labor rights concerns have further complicated public perceptions of Cerrejón. The death of a mine worker, described in Cerrejón’s 2023 sustainability report, raises questions regarding compliance with occupational safety standards grounded in International Labour Organization conventions (ILO, 2024; OHCHR, 1966). The region’s entrenched socioeconomic vulnerability, including high poverty rates and limited economic alternatives, heightens the impact of these issues (World Bank Group, 2025). When local residents rely heavily on mining for income, they become more susceptible to accepting hazardous working conditions, and their communities often lack the resources to engage in prolonged legal or political battles.

Moreover, indigenous and ethnic communities in La Guajira have voiced concerns about the absence of meaningful consultation, which is required by instruments such as the International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (United Nations, 2007). Although consultations do take place, local organizations argue that these processes do not meet the standard of “free, prior, and informed consent” and are conducted in ways that sideline Indigenous perspectives (Liga Gmail, 2019a; 2019b; 2019c). Critics assert that Colombia’s drive to attract foreign investment often erodes state oversight and weakens legal frameworks designed to protect community interests (Rodríguez & Tutasaura Castellanos, 2024). The gap between official commitments and the day-to-day experiences of workers and residents becomes pronounced, especially when documented human rights violations or adverse health outcomes remain unresolved over long periods (Vargas Collazos, 2021).

Parte 1 La mina y la población [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qitQ6BNpyh4

THE RÍO SANTIAGO CONTAMINATION IN JALISCO, MEXICO

In Jalisco, Mexico, industrial discharge into the Río Santiago reveals how unchecked manufacturing activities can derail the well-being of entire communities (Fisher & Malkin, 2020). A government-commissioned study in 2019 discovered dangerously high levels of heavy metals—including arsenic and mercury—in the blood of hundreds of local children, linking these pollutants to increasing cancer rates and chronic illnesses (McCulligh, Tetreault & Martínez González, 2023). Despite the gravity of these findings, Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA) is reported to have too few inspectors to oversee the region adequately, and the fines levied against companies found to be polluting are often negligible compared to corporate profit margins in the region (HRC, 2017).

Nevertheless, local activists remain skeptical of whether these measures can produce lasting improvements if voluntary corporate actions operate in a context of weak government oversight. Although the Association of Industries of El Salto (Aisac, 2021) has publicly supported measures to clean up the river, many local residents see insufficient involvement of neutral third parties, such as independent regulators or community representatives, to ensure that corporate promises translate into real environmental recovery.

The controversies unfolding in Jalisco echo key pillars of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Naciones Unidas, 2011). The government has an obligation to protect citizens from violations by non-state actors, businesses must actively respect human rights obligations, and communities should have access to meaningful remedies. Yet the interplay between these pillars is often stymied by lax enforcement mechanisms and the absence of transparent, well-resourced pathways for community complaints (HRC, 2017). This disconnection shows how corporate-led sustainability endeavors cannot by themselves assure adequate water quality or health safeguards when overarching institutional frameworks remain fragile.

The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/es/2020/01/01/espanol/america-latina/mexico-medioambiente-tmec.html

A METHODOLOGICAL VIEW ON HUMAN RIGHTS IMPACT ASSESSMENT

The Cerrejón and Río Santiago cases demonstrate the importance of developing systematic impact assessments that incorporate a clear baseline of international and local norms, direct input from affected groups, and transparent methods of data collection (Danish Institute for Human Rights, 2020). Researchers, practitioners, and community advocates often deploy interviews, participatory workshops, and site visits to identify how corporate operations affect environmental resources, labor practices, and cultural rights (ActionAid, 2018). This process can include evaluating compliance with frameworks like the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (United Nations, 2007), the International Labour Organization conventions (ILO, 2024), and local environmental laws (Rodríguez & Tutasaura Castellanos, 2024).

By mapping specific impacts—such as contamination of water supplies or forced displacement of populations—to the relevant legal standards, analysts can clarify the nature and severity of rights violations. Gathering quantitative data on pollution levels and health outcomes, alongside qualitative narratives from residents, offers a more holistic vision of how corporate decisions reverberate through vulnerable communities (McCulligh et al., 2023). Researchers also examine internal corporate policies, such as Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value framework (Nestlé, 2018) or Cerrejón’s sustainability reports (Cerrejón, 2023), to identify gaps between written commitments and actual field conditions.

For communities in La Guajira and Jalisco, the assessments go further by exploring the availability of remedial mechanisms and the obstacles that prevent victims from accessing legal, administrative, or corporate-based solutions. Even well-structured corporate programs can be overshadowed by bureaucratic inertia or financial constraints, leaving injustices unredressed. The Cerrejón and Río Santiago cases exemplify the urgency of ensuring that remedy is accessible, that penalties for misconduct are sufficiently strong to alter corporate behavior, and that local voices guide all interventions aimed at repairing environmental harm and improving labor conditions (Liga Gmail, 2019a; 2019b; 2019c; Naciones Unidas, 2020).

These insights do not discount the possibility of mutually beneficial outcomes in which industries manage to thrive while respecting people’s rights and protecting ecological systems. Yet reaching those outcomes requires far-reaching changes. Stronger institutional oversight, enhanced community participation, and multi-stakeholder accountability frameworks are essential components of a truly responsible economic model. Without these, as the Cerrejón mine and Río Santiago contamination demonstrate, the pursuit of growth can leave behind severe human and environmental costs that persist for generations.

Resources:

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Aisac (2021). Reiteran empresas de la AISAC compromiso para la recuperación del río Santiago. Asociación De Industriales De El Salto, AC (AISAC).

Cerrejón (2023). Informes de sostenibilidad. Cerrejón. https://www.cerrejon.com/sostenibilidad/informes-de-sostenibilidad

Danish Institute for Human Rights (2020). Guía de Evaluación de Impacto en los Derechos Humanos y Caja de Herramientas.

Fisher, S., & Malkin, E. (2020, January 2). “Un Chernóbil en cámara lenta.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/es/2020/01/01/espanol/america-latina/mexico-medioambiente-tmec.html

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Liga Gmail (2019a, July 31). La oscura nube del Cerrejón en La Guajira – Parte 2 El aire [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxQ_Dxcea9Y

Liga Gmail (2019b, July 31). La oscura nube del cerrejón en La Guajira – parte 3 trabajadores enfermos [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SJHCe_C6Pk
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McCulligh, C., Tetreault, D., & Martínez González, P. (2023). Conflicto y contaminación: El movimiento socioecológico en torno al río Santiago. In Gobernanza y Gestión del Agua en el Occidente de México. https://riosantiago.jalisco.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/conflicto_y_contaminacion_el_movimiento_socioecologico_en_torno_al_rio_santiago.pdf

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United Nations (2007). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

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World Bank Group (2025, January 28). World Bank Poverty report highlights persistent inequalities in Colombia. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2024/12/03/informe-sobre-pobreza-del-banco-mundial-destaca-desigualdades-persistentes-en-colombia