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SENTINEL ARCHIVE / CASE #037

Colombia

Law 1968 of 2019 ('Ana Cecilia Niño Law') bans all exploitation, production, commercialization, use, import, distribution, and export of asbestos effective January 1, 2021. The law mandates 20-year health monitoring for exposed workers and established the National Commission for Asbestos Substitution. Named after journalist Ana Cecilia Niño who died of mesothelioma in 2017 from environmental exposure in Sibaté, where Eternit's asbestos-cement factory contaminated the town since 1942.

2019Full Ban
2019
Year Banned
0.6
per million/yr
Mesothelioma Rate
—
Data not available
1970s-2000s
Peak Usage Era

Regulatory Timeline

  1. 1940s

    1. 1942Event

      Eternit Colombiana establishes first asbestos-cement plant in Sibaté, near Bogotá, beginning decades of industrial asbestos use and environmental contamination

      ↗ Source

  2. 2000s

    1. 2007Regulation

      Senator Jesús Bernal Amorocho introduces first bill to ban asbestos in Colombia; strong industry lobbying prevents passage

      ↗ Source

  3. 2010s

    1. 2015Regulation

      Senator Nadia Blel leads work table in Colombian Congress to study asbestos ban procedure with 3-5 year transition period

      ↗ Source
    2. 2017Regulation

      Ana Cecilia Niño dies of mesothelioma (January 8, age 42) from environmental exposure in Sibaté. Senate Committee approves the 'Ana Cecilia Niño Law' (October)

      ↗ Source
    3. 2019Legislation

      President Iván Duque signs Law 1968 (July 11), banning all asbestos from January 1, 2021, after seven failed legislative attempts since 2007

      ↗ Source

  4. 2020s

    1. 2021Legislation

      Complete asbestos ban takes effect January 1; National Commission for Asbestos Substitution (CNSA) required to be operational but remains unformed; no public awareness campaign, no air quality monitoring, no replacement public policy launched

      ↗ Source
    2. 2024Regulation

      Definitive CNSA applicant list published (April 11); national conference 'Asbestos in Colombia 2024: Challenges After the Ban' held in Bogotá — reviewing implementation of the Ana Cecilia Niño Law

      ↗ Source

Stories of Resistance

The people who fought for change.

Ana Cecilia Niño Robles

Ana Cecilia Niño Robles

JOURNALIST2014–2017

Journalist and co-founder of Colombia sin Asbesto; died of mesothelioma from environmental exposure in Sibaté

Ana Cecilia Niño was a journalist who grew up in Sibaté — home to Colombia's largest asbestos-cement factory — and never worked with asbestos. Diagnosed with mesothelioma in September 2014, a year after giving birth to her first child, she co-founded Colombia sin Asbesto with her husband Daniel Pineda and launched a national campaign while undergoing treatment. She collected over 50,000 signatures for an asbestos ban, produced media campaigns, held educational events at schools and universities, and with Daniel filed a complaint at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She died January 8, 2017, aged 42. In October 2017, the Senate approved the ban. President Duque signed Law 1968 into law in July 2019. The law bears her name.

“They removed a lung, my pericardium, and my left internal muscles, but they will never take away my hope of seeing a Colombia without asbestos.”— 2016 social media post, documented in Confront Power investigative report (https://confrontpower.org/colombia-asbestos-campaign/)
↗ Source
Daniel Pineda

Daniel Pineda

ADVOCACY LEADER2014–present

Co-founder of Colombia sin Asbesto; continued the campaign after Ana Cecilia Niño's death

Daniel Pineda co-founded Colombia sin Asbesto with his wife Ana Cecilia Niño in 2014 and led the campaign after her death in January 2017. Together they had built a coalition of asbestos victims, scientists, and advocates that maintained sustained pressure through three Senate rejections, an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights complaint, and a 50,000-signature petition. Daniel carried this work through the October 2017 Senate approval, the July 2019 signing by President Duque, and the ongoing struggle for full enforcement of the Ana Cecilia Niño Law. His testimony as a widower who watched the asbestos industry lobby against protections during his wife's illness became central to the campaign's public narrative.

↗ Source

Joint Struggle

Ana Cecilia Niño Robles & Daniel Pineda

Ana Cecilia Niño Robles & Daniel Pineda

2014–2019
Journalist & Co-founderAdvocate & Co-founder

A family campaign that changed national law

Ana Cecilia and Daniel built Colombia sin Asbesto together from their kitchen table in 2014 — she having been diagnosed with mesothelioma despite never working with asbestos, he a man watching his wife fight for her life while simultaneously fighting an industry. They collected 50,000 signatures, organized events at schools and universities, produced media campaigns, and filed a complaint at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. When Ana Cecilia died on January 8, 2017, aged 42, Daniel continued alone — carrying their shared work through the October 2017 Senate approval and the July 2019 signing of Law 1968 by President Duque. The law bears her name. He never stopped.

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Key Figures in Detail

Context and sources behind the numbers

2019Ban Year

All forms of asbestos have been banned since 2019. Buildings constructed before this date may still contain asbestos materials.

0.6Mesothelioma Rate

0.6 cases per million people per year. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20–50 years.

A lower rate, though any mesothelioma cases indicate past asbestos exposure.

Source year: 2022

1970s-2000sPeak Usage Era

The period when asbestos was most heavily used in construction. Buildings from this era have the highest probability of containing asbestos materials.

Material Identification Guide

Common materials still present in buildings

asbestos-cement roofing sheets

HIGH RISKNon-friable

1930–2000

asbestos-cement water pipes

MODERATENon-friable

1930–1990

brake linings

HIGH RISKFriable

1920–2000

asbestos-cement flat sheets

HIGH RISKNon-friable

1930–2000

gaskets and packings

HIGH RISKFriable

1920–1990

↗Learn more

What To Do If You Live Here

  • Your country has banned asbestos, but older buildings may still contain legacy materials.
  • Buildings built before the ban year may contain asbestos-containing materials.
  • Hire a certified asbestos surveyor before any renovation or demolition work.
  • Do not disturb older building materials without professional testing.

Check Your Property

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Sources

Last updated: 2026-03-28

Information aggregated from public sources including IBAS, EPA, and WHO. Not legal or medical advice.

How we source our data →