# Santurbán massif reserve status dispute

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/santurbn-massif-reserve-status-dispute
> Updated: 2026-10-22T19:20:00.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

The Colombian Ministry of Environment revoked a previous resolution that had extended the temporary natural resource reserve of the Santurbán massif until March 2029. The new decision reduces the reserve’s validity by two years, leaving it in effect only until March 2027. This area covers over 75,000 hectares and is a strategic water source for millions of residents. The Ministry stated it is pursuing a progressive delimitation of the paramo complex in accordance with a 2017 Constitutional Court sentence.

The decision has faced opposition from the Committee for the Defense of Water and the Santurbán Paramo, which criticized the government for withdrawing protections. In response to the legal fallout, Adriana Patricia Salcedo Hernández, the Delegate Prosecutor for Environmental, Mining, Energy, and Agrarian Affairs, requested that the Administrative Tribunal of Santander refrain from issuing a precautionary measure. The prosecutor argued that the expiration of the temporary reserve does not automatically prove imminent environmental damage and urged the court to evaluate the necessity and technical viability of the protection independently.

Meanwhile, the mining-energy sector association, Asomineros, has called for future protections to be based on technical and legal evidence rather than political timelines.

## Claims

- Prosecutor Adriana Patricia Salcedo Hernández requested the Administrative Tribunal of Santander to abstain from a precautionary measure. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The requested measure would have forced the government to define the continuity of the Santurbán reserve before March 4, 2027. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The expiration of the temporary reserve does not automatically demonstrate imminent environmental damage. (single source)
- The Ministry of Environment issued Resolution 1277 on September 28, 2026. (single source)
- Resolution 1277 revoked a previous resolution that had extended the reserve until March 2029. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-22: Colombian Prosecutor requests delay in Santurbán reserve decision

A Colombian prosecutor has asked a court to delay any mandatory decisions regarding the Santurbán reserve zone until March 2027, citing a need for technical and legal viability assessments.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colombian-prosecutor-requests-delay-in-santurbn-reserve-decision

### 2026-09-28: Colombia revokes Santurbán reserve extension to 2029

Colombia's Ministry of Environment has reduced the temporary protection period for the Santurbán reserve from 2029 to 2027, affecting mining restrictions in the strategic water-supply region.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colombia-revokes-santurbn-reserve-extension-to-2029

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Cite as: Santurbán massif reserve status dispute. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/santurbn-massif-reserve-status-dispute