Successfully negotiating artisanal-industrial mining coexistence: A case study from Colombia

The presence of informal mining within concessions frequently leads to clashes and conflict. Title holders typically insist on their legally sanctioned exclusive access to the subsoil, whereas artisanal miners often face persecution and criminalization because they operate without the necessary state licenses. In such contexts, schemes that legally sanction artisanal and industrial mineral coexistence within a concession are often presented as a pragmatic policy move to conflict resolution. However, critical accounts have questioned the promises of a more inclusive mining governance through such partnerships because they often reify uneven power relations and create new forms of artisanal mining exclusion. In some cases, however, these schemes are the only available avenue for non-industrial miners to access legality and escape state persecution. Through the case-study of a successful mining coexistence negotiation in Colombia, this contribution shows that mutually beneficial mining coexistence requires considering the specificities of the extractive practices; a constant and trustful dialogue between the artisanal and industrial mining actors that is mediated through third parties; and an appropriate technical and legal accompaniment that enables subcontracted miners to meet state requirements and maintain access to legal gold production networks.