Petroleum company Emerald Energy’s proposed plans to extract crude oil in Colombia’s spectacular coffee region causes concern to local communities, reports Radio Caracol.
Farmers, environmental experts and government delegates were due to meet Monday to discuss the granting of new environmental permits to the UK-based multinational company, allowing them to drill for oil in the mountainous area.
Alongside environmental concerns are reported fears that the presence of the multinational company will lead to social changes such as an increased number of bars and brothels in the region.
People are also worried that coffee pickers will abandon their traditional work in favor of manual labor at the petroleum company, as it could pay higher wages.
The community meeting was scheduled to take place in the southwestern department of Huila.
