Cerrejón committed to enhancing cultural strengthening in Indigenous communities

Cerrejón has handed over five multipurpose spaces to indigenous Wayuu communities of Samutpio and Pushoulia (Uribia), Coropontain (Manaure), Yourepo (Maicao) and Panchomana (Albania). The use of these spaces is intended to enhance and strengthen the Wayuu culture and promote their traditions and customs. The company successfully arranged support from the Colombian NGO Fundación Ramírez Moreno, which provided the facilities, and from Trascolba, a contracting company, that pitched in by providing resources to build the spaces. Likewise, the municipal mayor’s offices helped coordinate the project by obtaining construction licenses.

“To meet a specific need for the Indigenous communities near our operation, we have handed over these multipurpose spaces where educational and cultural strengthening activities can be done, as well as meetings for decision-making and attending to visitors, among others. We have taken many aspects into consideration while doing this construction work, but the most important has been making sure it has been done according to the customs and traditions of the communities”, stated Luis Marulanda, Vice President for Public Affairs and at Cerrejón.

The spaces were designed meeting regulations currently in force for earthquake resistance and taking into account recommendations from leaders and the Traditional Authorities, who participated by contributing ideas and forming part of the manual labour hired to do the construction work before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

“Thank you to Cerrejón for this construction work that is being finished today. This building is very important to everyone in the community, because we are going to benefit from it in many ways. For example, it is going to be useful for our cultural as well as educational events. We have participated, men as well as the women, since the work began. We have paid close attention at all times to the process and the construction”, confirmed Luis Arturo Jusayu Gonzáles, a member of the Samutpio community.