Summary of the Request

The request describes the situation faced by communities located in the municipalities of Briceño, Ituango, Toledo, Peque, Sabanalarga, Valdivia, Caucasia, San Andrés de Cuerquia, and Sopetrán. The Ituango Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction, is located in this area.

The request alleges current and potential impacts in the construction and operation stages of the project related to the identification of the project’s area of influence and the affected population; the identification and management of social and environmental impacts; the increase in conflict, insecurity, and violence in the project area and gender-differentiated impacts; the absence of adequate public consultation and participation; and the lack of adequate resettlement or compensation plans for physical and economic displacement resulting from the project’s construction. The requesters also maintain that the emergency that began in April 2018 has worsened and led to additional impacts both upstream and downstream of the dam, and that the project's handling of its consequences and related information has been inadequate. 

The Request describes the situation faced by 480 people in various communities along the Cauca river canyon in the municipalities of Briceño, Ituango, Toledo, Peque, Sabanalarga, Buriticá, Liborina, Olaya and Santa Fe de Antioquia. The Ituango Hydroelectric Project, currently under construction, is located in this area.

They underline the situation of violence and reprisals against those who have shown opposition to the project, claiming death threats and homicides.

Regarding the MICI process, the Requesters have stated that they wish to resort to both the Consultation Phase and the Compliance Review Phase, in case their Request be declared eligible.

Recent actions

On July 26, 2019 the MICI distributed the Recommendation for Compliance Review to the Board of Executive Directors of IDB for consideration by Short Procedure. The Board authorized the Recommendation to not investigate without objection on August 2, 2019. This decision was notified to the Parties on August 9, 2019, whereby the MICI process ends and this case is closed.

Past actions

On July 3, 2018, the MICI notified the Requesters and Management of the registration of the Request.

On August 30th, 2018, MICI determined that the Request was eligible as it met the criteria established in the MICI Policy.

The Request was transferred to the Consultation Phase (conflict resolution process) to start the assessment stage.

On November 16, 2018, MICI issued the Assessment Report of the Consultation Phase, which concluded that there were no conditions to initiate a dialogue process.

On December 7, 2018, the case was transferred to the Compliance Review Phase, which was notified to the parties on December 18, 2018.

On December 7, 2018, the MICI Director asked the IDB Board of Executive Directors for an extension to prepare the “Recommendation for a Compliance Review and Terms of Reference” (paragraph 59 of the Policy). The Board of Executive Directors approved the extension via Short Procedure. Therefore, the new deadline to issue the Recommendation was February 28, 2019.

On February 28, 2019, MICI sent the Parties the draft of the Recommendation and Terms of Reference for a Compliance Review of the present case. As of this date, the Parties had 15 business days to comment on the document, which expired on March 21, 2019