On October 15, 2025, the United Nations issued a stark warning to Colombia: mercury contamination from illegal gold mining in the Atrato River basin has escalated into a "serious and ongoing human rights crisis." According to the United Nations letter, this crisis is threatening the health, survival, and cultural fabric of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities who have called the river home for generations, as reported by ABC and The Associated Press.
The Atrato River, winding nearly 500 miles from the western Andes to the Caribbean Sea, is not just a geographical feature. As described by the Associated Press, it courses through the lush, biodiverse, and impoverished Choco region, providing food, water, and cultural identity to predominantly Afro-Colombian and Indigenous populations. For these communities, the river is life itself, but now, that life source is under dire threat.
Mercury, commonly used in small-scale gold mining to separate gold from sediment, has been poisoning the river for years. The process, while lucrative for illegal miners, leaves a toxic legacy that seeps into the ecosystem. Mercury doesn’t just vanish—it accumulates in fish and wildlife, working its way up the food chain and into the bodies of people who depend on the river for their daily sustenance. According to the United Nations, more than a third of the population in the Atrato watershed has been exposed to mercury levels that exceed World Health Organization safety limits. The consequences are devastating: mercury exposure can cause neurological damage, organ failure, and developmental disorders in unborn children.
“A big part of the problem stems from the presence of organized crime—smuggling mercury, smuggling gold, and corruption in military and police forces,” said Marcos Orellana, the U.N. special rapporteur on toxics and human rights, in an interview with The Associated Press. He added, “Ten years have passed and we have seen that there has been insufficient implementation and compliance with the terms of that decision.”
Orellana was referring to a 2016 Constitutional Court ruling in Colombia that recognized the Atrato River as a legal entity with rights to protection and restoration. This landmark decision was celebrated globally and inspired similar "rights of nature" movements elsewhere. However, as Orellana pointed out, political turnover, lack of funding, and allegations of corruption have undermined enforcement. “Complying with a court decision requires institutional commitment over the long term,” he explained. “Politics can interfere, and reality kicks in when budgets don’t follow.”
Despite Colombia banning mercury use in mining back in 2018, enforcement has remained patchy—especially in conflict zones dominated by armed groups and criminal networks. These groups, attracted by soaring gold prices and weak traceability systems, have turned illegal gold mining into one of the main drivers of deforestation and pollution across Latin America’s Amazon regions. The gold extracted through these illegal means often slips into global supply chains, making it exceedingly difficult to trace and regulate.
But the environmental cost is not the only concern. The United Nations letter, co-signed by the special rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, described the mercury contamination as a violation of the rights to health, life, and a clean environment. The rapporteurs urged Colombia to take “immediate and effective” steps to curb illegal mining, clean up polluted sites, and provide medical care for affected communities. As Orellana emphasized, “The human rights of victims are at stake. International law requires states to respect and guarantee rights—not for one day or for one week, but all the time.”
The crisis has also been marked by violence and exploitation. Orellana’s office has received evidence of slavery-like labor, forced prostitution, and displacement linked to illegal mining operations in the Atrato region. “These forms of violence and violations of human rights accompany mercury contamination and must be treated as environmental crimes,” he said.
Local residents, often at great personal risk, have acted as the river’s guardians, monitoring illegal mining activities and defending their communities against threats from armed groups. According to AP reporting, these community watchguards are frequently exposed to intimidation and violence, underscoring the dangerous intersection of environmental and human rights violations in the region.
The United Nations’ warning is not without precedent. The 2016 court ruling that granted the Atrato River legal rights was hailed as a milestone in environmental law, but as Orellana noted, meaningful progress has been elusive. Since that ruling, the number of hectares being mined illegally has actually increased, and many communities still lack access to testing, specialized health care, and clear guidance on reducing mercury exposure.
Under standard U.N. procedures, governments have 60 days to respond to such communications. As of October 15, 2025—more than 60 days after the U.N. sent its letter—Colombia’s presidential office and Environment Ministry had not replied to requests for comment, according to AP. Orellana expressed hope that the government would fulfill its obligations under international human rights law and respond promptly.
The United Nations also called on Colombia to take a leading role in strengthening international controls on mercury under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury. Orellana pointed out that “current global regulations have ‘gaps that need to be closed’ to curb cross-border trade.”
For the people of the Atrato River basin, the stakes could not be higher. The contamination threatens not only their health but their very way of life. Fishing and small-scale farming—the traditional livelihoods of these communities—are now imperiled by toxic pollution. The river, once a source of nourishment and cultural identity, has become a symbol of both vulnerability and resilience.
As the world watches, the question remains: will Colombia and the international community rise to the challenge? The United Nations’ warning is clear—immediate, coordinated action is needed to protect the rights and futures of those who depend on the Atrato River. Anything less would be a grave disservice to the communities whose survival hangs in the balance.
