Local authorities in La Calera, Colombia, have slashed the water extraction concession held by Indega, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Femsa, following a prolonged drought and intense community pressure. The regional autonomous corporation (CAR) reduced the company’s allowed extraction rate from 3.23 to 1.9 litres per second in April 2025, marking a rare victory for environmental activists in a region historically dominated by industrial water use.
Why is water management in La Calera a national concern?
La Calera sits within the Chingaza national park, a vital ecosystem that supplies approximately 70% of the drinking water for Bogotá, Colombia’s capital. According to local councillor and activist Javier Cifuentes, the area’s importance meant that when a severe drought—intensified by a record-breaking El Niño weather pattern—left the Chingaza reservoir at just 15% capacity between 2023 and 2024, residents faced up to 15 days of water rationing each month. As households struggled, public scrutiny fell on multinational corporations that continued to extract water for commercial bottling.
During the drought, community leaders discovered that Indega paid only 120 pesos per cubic metre for water extraction, while local residents were billed between 697 and 3,720 pesos for the same volume, depending on their income levels.
How did the community challenge the corporate concession?
Residents, led by figures like Herminia Cristancho of the Association of Hamlets and councillor Javier Cifuentes, utilized Colombian legal frameworks to gain access to corporate water documents. With legal support from the non-profit Cajar, they challenged the renewal of Indega’s concession, which was set to expire in December 2024. The activists argued that the company’s use of seven springs was depleting the San Lorenzo basin. While Indega countered with a study claiming its water sources were independent of the basin, the CAR authorities dismissed the report as technically flawed.
What are the consequences for environmental defenders?
The campaign to restrict water extraction has resulted in significant personal risk for local leaders. Javier Cifuentes reported being threatened at gunpoint by a masked man in March 2024, who warned him to stop interfering with the company’s operations. According to records from 2012 to 2024, Colombia has recorded the highest number of murdered land defenders globally. Despite being under government protection, Cifuentes has faced multiple attempts to intimidate him, including being followed by masked men on motorbikes. Herminia Cristancho has similarly reported receiving abusive text messages and harassment during public town hall meetings.
What does the future hold for water rights in Colombia?
The recent reduction in Indega’s concession is viewed by activists as a precedent-setting shift in how Colombia manages its natural resources. The new agreement limits the company to four springs instead of seven and reduces the concession duration from 10 to five years. Furthermore, the CAR now holds the authority to temporarily suspend the concession during future severe droughts. While this is considered a milestone, activists like Cristancho remain concerned about the transparency and rigor of government monitoring regarding actual water usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the result of the La Calera water dispute? The local government (CAR) reduced Indega’s water extraction rate by nearly half and shortened the duration of their concession.
- Did Coca-Cola Femsa comment on the threats? The company did not respond to requests for comment regarding the threats faced by activists.
- Why were residents angry? Residents were under strict water rationing while a multinational corporation continued to bottle and sell water extracted from the same depleted ecosystem.
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