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21 Latest Global Asbestos Data (November 5, 2014)

In 2011-2013 the proportion of global asbestos consumption for this region reached 72%; even more remarkably, around 90% of all exported asbestos ended up in Asia, with another ~9% being imported by just five countries: Ukraine, Belarus, Mexico, Cuba and Colombia.

22 Asbestos: Art, Science and Policy (October 20, 2014)

A remarkable and innovative series of events highlighting the legal, societal and environmental impact of asbestos production and use begins in Bogota on October 28, 2014 and continues over the following week.1 These activities mark a defining moment in the country which is South America’s second biggest asbestos consumer having used an average of more than 20,000 tonnes/year over the last three years. This initiative has been organized by ban asbestos campaigners in collaboration with academic institutions, scientific, medical and technical experts. (An art exhibition featuring the work of British, American, French and Colombian artists intended as part of the initiative has been rescheduled for March 2015.)

On Tuesday, November 5, a one-day session will explore Political Art and Social Activism by considering the artwork of Conrad Atkinson (UK), Bill Ravanesi (US), the Bureau D’Etudes (France) and Colombian artists. Award-winning British conceptualist artist Conrad Atkinson, whose 1978 piece “Asbestos” was purchased by The Tate in 2007, has collaborated with the conference organizers to produce a stunning series of posters for these events.

The final day (November 7) will be reserved for presentations related to the mining, processing and use of asbestos in Colombia with presentations from Italian researchers Drs. Paola Castro and Daniela Marsili who have been part of a multinational scientific and technical collaboration designed to disseminate knowledge about the asbestos public health emergency.

Providing the opportunity for authoritative figures from three continents to engage in discussions with their Colombian counterparts, civil society partners and members of the public is a watershed moment. The control of the national asbestos dialogue which has been exerted by industry forces for so many decades will be shattered by these discussions, with the truth finally emerging about the criminal enterprises which have endangered workers and the public not only in Colombia but in every country where asbestos profits have been pursued.

23 Colombia’s Asbestos Stories, from Economic to Legal (September 22, 2014)

Colombia, which is eager to take its place as an emerging economy in the new globalized order, continues to use asbestos within a scenario devised and fed by industry interests who use “hired gun experts” to deny the lethal nature of white chrysotile (the form used in Colombia), despite the vast scientific and medical evidence which shows the contrary.

Although the Colombian government ratified the inclusion of asbestosis and mesothelioma in its table of occupational diseases, by Decree 1477/14 recently issued by the Ministry of Labour, it has done nothing to investigate or identify the occurrence of these diseases. However, the industry, under the umbrella of its lobby, continues to spread false scientific reports seeking to deceive the public.

During 2012, Colombia imported 25,164 tons, whose FOB average value was US$32,000 million; but in 2013 imports dropped to 15,961 tons, and for the first four months of 2014 are of the order of 2,563 tons. If the latter rate continues until the end of the year we are likely to reach 10,000 tons of imports. This decrease is explained by the fact that Bricolsa, the operator of the asbestos mine in the countryside near Yarumal (Antioquia), is supplying the needs of the Colombian asbestos industry.

When looking at a Colombian city from the air, roofing tiles and water tanks made of asbestos-cement proliferate everywhere; however, the industry declares that there is no problem with this, due to the fact that the asbestos fibers are encapsulated into a cement matrix and cannot therefore be liberated and inhaled.

We must be mindful that the asbestos which has been used in Colombia for more than half a century has been and continues to be handled without due care and attention. For years studies have shown the deadly consequences of weathering on asbestos-cement roofing and building products; over time, these materials deteriorate and release carcinogenic fibers which can be inhaled by the human population.

Unfortunately, research in Colombia into this type of environmental risk is almost nonexistent. The government must address this situation not only to protect public health but also to reduce the financial burden on our health system which has the obligation to care for the asbestos-injured.

24 LKA Blog (April 28, 2014)

In difficult and often frustrating circumstances, colleagues progressed educational outreach projects, investigations and legal actions in asbestos-using and producing countries including: Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, Colombia, Bangladesh, Laos and even Russia as evidenced in the articles listed below:

Asbestos Issues in Colombia

25 Asbestos Issues in Colombia (July 24, 2013)

by Concerned Colombian Citizens1

Geological Survey, known in English by its acronym U.S.G.S., Colombia's consumption of asbestos increased by 26% in 2012. In other words, our usage of asbestos which was 20,048 tons in 2011 rose to 25,164 tons in 2012. This disturbing fact suggests that Colombian industry continues to ignore the known biological and environmental risks posed by the use of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogenic substance.

The data in the table below, which has been obtained from official Colombian sources, is consistent with U.S.G.S. statistics. In 2012, seven companies imported a total of 24,622.05 tons from Brazil, Russia, India and Ukraine; 60% of all the asbestos imported was for three Eternit companies.

Table 1: Asbestos Fiber Imports to Colombia 2012

In Colombia, the idea persists that the safe use of chrysotile asbestos is possible under controlled conditions; this position is contrary to scientific evidence and the official position of international agencies including the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Unfortunately, the “safe use” position, which was used by Russia and its six allies to block progress on listing chrysotile seemed, by default, to have been accepted by the Colombian delegation which did not voice its objection to the industry rhetoric.

Although chrysotile asbestos has been banned in over 50 countries, Colombia persists in allowing it to be commercially exploited thereby, endangering human health through exposures at work and at home. As is clear from the above list of seven asbestos importing companies, there are vested interests which benefit from the current information vacuum on asbestos. As long as the economic health of industry is placed above the health of citizens, this situation is likely to continue. Furthermore, plans for Colombia to recommence chrysotile asbestos mining operations will provide another reason for the status quo to remain unaltered. There is no doubt that the revenue derived from Colombia's mining boom is much-needed but these profits cannot be bought at the risk to human life.

Another example of the use of asbestos, under the guise of modernization, can be found in Palenque de San Basilio, a community founded in the 16th century in the palisades of the North Coast of Colombia, near Cartagena, by escaping black slaves. Palenque de San Basilio was declared a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005;2 it is now undergoing a delicate process of transformation, where elements of modernity are being introduced into local culture.

Informed sources confirmed that the roofing tile being used in Palenque de San Basilio is “Profile 7,” a product manufactured by Eternit Colombia. Although the company's specification sheet for Profile 7 states that the material is made of “Fibrocemento” [Fibrocement], it is widely believed to contain asbestos.

Of course asbestos is not the only carcinogenic substance being used in Colombia. It is believed that the five most serious occupational hazards in Colombia are: asbestos, silica, benzene, inorganic lead and ionizing radiation. Unfortunately, there are no statutes or protocols for the diagnosing of occupational cancer in Colombia. We believe that this is partially due to the disinterest on the part of oncologists about the origin of their patients' cancers and in part due to the industrial interests which have much to lose from an open debate about occupational hazards and illnesses.

It is well past time that Colombia's workers, trade unions and members of the public took up the challenge posed by asbestos and other carcinogens and called for action by our civil servants and politicians.

26 Interpretation of "The Female Face of Britain's Asbestos Catastrophe" (July 2, 2013)

That is what we're hoping to achieve."1 These words remained with me as I watched from the sidelines as a digital piece of art by Colombian artist Guillermo Villamizar (GV) has evolved. Over the last 18 months, Villamizar has been researching the tragic and far-reaching impact asbestos has had in countries all over the world.

Guillermo Villamizar in his studio in Colombia.

27 British Campaign for Asbestos Justice: Update (July 22, 2013)

A piece of digital art entitled: The Female Face of Britain's Asbestos Catastrophe by Colombian artist Guillermo Villamizar; this stunning image conceptualized the catastrophe caused by asbestos in Britain over the last century.8

28 Report from the Asbestos Frontline 2013 (February 26, 2013)

Although the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute closed down last year, national industry associations, working in tandem with international partners such as the ICA, the AIA/NA, and the AACPP, continue to aggressively promote asbestos use in 2013, as we have seen by developments in Pakistan,5 Thailand6 and Peru.7 Attempts by civil society in Peru to end asbestos use resulted in the adoption of Law No. 29662: Asbestos law prohibiting amphiboles and regulating the use of Chrysotile asbestos under which a ban on the use of chrysotile was proposed as of October 1, 2013. The legislation, which has not yet been promulgated, has been under constant attack by vested interests from home and abroad including, amongst the former category the Peruvian Chrysotile Association and, amongst the latter, the Columbian (Asbestos) Fiber Association (Asociacion Colombiana de Fibras) and the Mexican (Asbestos) Fiber Industry Institute (Instituto Mexicano de Fibro-Industrias).8

I should also mention the fact that we the Mexican Fibre Industries Institute (IMFI) together with Ascolfibras from Colombia have made several trips to attend this issue in different fronts; Health Ministry and the Peruvian Congress, besides several other instances. So far, we have been able to stop in its tracks all actions started. But as we are aware that these attacks will not stop, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico have joined forces and are financing and driving actions through the recently formed Peruvian Chrysotile Association, so as to prevent whatever actions are taken.”10

29 Brazil: Asbestos Producer, User, Exporter (December 4, 2012)

The top ten importers of Brazilian asbestos were: India (1), Indonesia (2), Mexico (3; 7%), Thailand (4), Malaysia (5), Colombia (6; 3%), South Africa (7; 3%), Bolivia (8; 3%), Ecuador (9; 3%) Angola (10; 2%).

30 Asbestos in Colombia (October 3, 2012)

Versión en Español

During the period 2008-2011, Colombia imported an average of 8,290 tonnes of asbestos a year. A brief look at the import data raises some uncomfortable questions as indications are that the use of asbestos, an acknowledged carcinogen, is increasing.

Eternit Colombiana S.A., Eternit Pacifico S.A., and Eternit Atlántico S.A. own asbestos processing factories in Bogota, Cali and Barranquilla; some of these facilities have been operational since the 1940s.

Other asbestos-using companies in Colombia include Tecnología en Cubrimiento S.A., Incolbestos and Repuestos Colombianos S.A.

Whereas Argentina, Chile, Honduras and many states in Brazil have banned asbestos, Colombia seems to be going its own way. Now, there is even talk of reviving a mothballed and bankrupt asbestos mine “Las Brisas,” with a report in “El Colombiano,” the main newspaper in Medellin, stating that the facility has been sold to local investors who hope to recommence production soon.1 The people from the village of La Solita Camp, where the mine is located, called this news “a miracle.” When “Las Brisas” was closed in 2011, after forty years of mining, 250 mineworkers lost their jobs.

According to a media release there are more than 2 million tonnes of asbestos at the mine; with monthly production of 1,500 tonnes, the reserves could last for 30 years and satisfy half of Colombia's demand for asbestos. In neither the press release nor the articles found is there any mention that 55 countries around the world have banned the use of asbestos due to its toxic nature. In Colombia, industry lobbyists continue to disseminate asbestos propaganda without opposition from the government, the environmental lobby or trade unions. Comments made in a 2012 article in “El Espectador,” Colombia's second most popular newspaper, are informative.2 The journalist reported that as a result of “rigorous” research conducted “by leading authorities in environmental medicine,” chrysotile asbestos [the type mined and used in Colombia] is not considered to be carcinogenic. Therefore, the journalist concludes, the commercial exploitation of Las Brisas mine is an “attractive” and safe proposition. Even though the Andean Community, of which Colombia has been a member since 1969, highlighted the asbestos hazard in 2005,3 it seems that the asbestos debate has not yet begun in Colombia.