Colombia’s constitutional court grants rights to the Atrato River and orders the government to clean up its waters

The deforested moonscapes in the dense and humid green jungles are filled up with yellow excavators and humming mineral processing plants. Pits full of contaminated soils and waters are being searched for shiny flecks of gold. The poisonous mercury that is used in the applied extraction process causes numerous health and environmental problems in the predominantly riverine communities and, as the court affirms, has contaminated the Atrato River.
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/colombias-constitutional-court-grants-rights-to-the-atrato-river-and-orders-the-government-to-clean-up-its-waters/