By Nelson Bocanegra and Luis Jaime Acosta; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon 

June 3, 2026 - Glencore’s Cerrejon mine in Colombia, one of the world’s largest open-pit coal mines, is monitoring blockades that forced it to suspend operations, it said in statements this week.

The site halted its mining, rail and port operations as of Monday due to a blockade that began May 23 and interrupted the transport of key supplies, it said.

The group leading the blockade is due to meet with the government’s vice minister for social dialogue on Thursday, Cerrejon added.

“The progressive resumption of activities will depend on the absence of new blockades, interruptions, or impacts on mobility along the railway line and other infrastructure associated with the operation,” Cerrejon said in a statement on Monday.

It did not address the reason behind the blockades. Communities around the mine have for years used blockades to protest what they say is harsh pollution that has affected their health and the environment.

The Cerrejon mining operation includes a large mining site, a 150-kilometer-long railway line, and a port on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.