Citizen referendums against extractive projects in Colombia: Building multisectoral coalitions for the protection of territory and resources

The organization of “popular” or “citizen” referendums against extraction projects of different resources (hydrocarbons, mining resources, or water) reached an unprecedented scale in Colombia in 2017. This kind of consultation has become a very important tool for the defense of natural resources and yields a massive rejection of such extractive projects. Every referendum stimulates the creation of a large and socially heterogeneous coalition, which builds alliances at different levels. The multilevel alliance strategy, starting at the municipal level and based on advocacy for legitimate popular participation in the decision-making process concerning the development model, has played a key role in the rise of such citizen referendums. Their political impact at the national level, however, is constrained by various social and political obstacles.