Coca-cola femsa faces backlash: residents win battle against water grab
La Calera, Colombia, has successfully challenged Coca-Cola Femsa’s relentless pursuit of water rights, exposing a stark contrast between corporate greed and community struggle. The victory, a rare feat in Latin America, marks a crucial step in safeguarding precious resources.
Local activists force water giant to back down
For over a year and a half, residents of La Calera have fought a David-versus-Goliath battle against Indega, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Femsa, the world’s largest beverage bottler. Despite residents facing crippling water rationing – up to 15 days per month – Indega continued to extract thousands of liters of water daily, fueling its Agua Manantial brand.
The situation was further compounded by the fact that the community was being asked to conserve water while the company paid a pittance – just 120 pesos per cubic meter – for its extraction, a fraction of the 697-3,720 pesos charged to local households.
But the residents weren’t passive. Spearheaded by Councillor Javier Cifuentes and the Association of Hamlets, a powerful female-led collective, they meticulously investigated Indega’s operations, uncovering a technical flaw in the company’s defense that questioned the replenishment of its springs via rainwater.
‘They stay until they wipe out everything, then they leave and find a new victim in another country,’ lamented Herminia Cristancho, a long-time resident. ‘They don’t care about the state in which they leave us.’
Facing intimidation, including death threats – one hooded assailant brandishing a weapon – Cifuentes and Cristancho persevered, leveraging public pressure and the support of legal non-profit Cajar to secure a landmark victory: the CAR slashed Indega’s water concession by nearly 80%, reducing extraction to just 1.9 liters per second and limiting its operational lifespan.
This outcome represents a significant win, yet the vigilance must continue. Authorities must now rigorously monitor Indega’s practices to ensure sustainable water management in the Chingaza National Park – a region vital for Colombia’s water supply.
‘We will keep fighting until not a single millilitre of water in the Chingaza is exploited by a multinational corporation,’ declared Cifuentes, highlighting the ongoing struggle for environmental justice. The fight for La Calera isn't just about water; it’s about holding corporations accountable and protecting vital ecosystems – a lesson the world desperately needs to learn.”n