After mass protests by an unusual coalition of environmentalists, engineers and retailers, Canada’s Greystar Resources this month withdrew its request for an environmental license to build one of the world’s largest gold mines in the high-mountain plains of Colombia’s Santander department. The decision by the Vancouver mining company came after an initial US$140 million investment in the $1 billion Angostura mine and several years of exploration. Greystar had said that with estimated reserves of 10 million troy ounces of gold, the mine would turn the area into one of the world’s biggest gold producers and contribute significantly to the local economy. But after a series of protests, culminating in a march by 40,000 demonstrators late last month in Bucaramanga, Santander’s principal city, Greystar... [Log in to read more]