It is a 'forest reserve' that has been recommended for protection,[2] but has been opened to mining by the Colombian government,[3] as the mountains have large deposits of gold, emeralds, nickel and mercury.[4]AngloGold Ashanti has been exploring in the area since 2004, causing tensions with local small-scale miners.[5]
The ELN guerrilla group enforced forest protection in the area in the early 2000s, apparently to protect local hydrology.[6] The area is still subject to fighting between drug cartels, FARC, ELN, the Black Eagles and the Colombian army.[5]