GOLDCORP OUT OF GUATEMALA

URGENT ACTION: Call for investigation and company departure in response to recurring violence in area of Canadian-owned silver project

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:02:54 +0000

URGENT ACTION: Call for investigation and company departure in response to recurring violence in area of Canadian-owned silver project

On Sunday, March 17, 2013, at around 8 pm, the President of the Xinca Indigenous Parliament and three other Xinca leaders were abducted by a group of heavily armed masked men while on their way home from observing a public referendum on Tahoe’s Escobal mine in El Volcancito, San Rafael Las Flores, in the department of Santa Rosa, Guatemala. This comes only two days after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, called on the Government of Guatemala to protect human rights defenders.

Two of the abducted Xinca leaders escaped and sounded the alarm. On the morning of Monday, March 18, 2013, the President of the Xinca Parliament’s vehicle was found with multiple bullet holes and Exaltación Marcos Ucelo, one of the four who were kidnapped, was found dead. About four hundred people peacefully gathered in the immediate area in order to protect the scene of the crime while demanding that authorities initiate a proper and full investigation. That evening, President Roberto González Ucelo was found alive.

In response, Interior Minister Mauricio López Bonilla made statements in the press, incorrectly conflating the non-violent community organizing in the municipalities of Mataquescuintla and San Rafael Las Flores with this and other recent violence. His statements are further evidence of ongoing stigmatization and criminalization of human rights defenders in Guatemala.

For more than two years communities in the municipalities of San Rafael Las Flores and Mataquescuintla have been peacefully resisting the development of Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine. Goldcorp holds 40% of Tahoe Resources shares and most of Tahoe’s current directors and management currently work for Goldcorp, or did previously.

In response to the recent events, we:

Urge Guatemala’s Attorney General to request that the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) undertake a full and impartial investigation into the violence in the area, in particular the existence of an armed group, and to ensure the protection of the human rights and environmental defenders who are demanding respect for their rights to live in a safe and healthy environment and to free, prior and informed consent over the mine project.

Call on the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of the Environment in Guatemala to reject Tahoe Resources’ request for an exploitation license for the Escobal mine based on the lack of consultation, environmental concerns and conflict in the area.

Call on Goldcorp and Tahoe Resources to pull out from San Rafael Las Flores given lack of social license for its Escobal project and the prevailing climate of violence that prohibits communities from peacefully conducting public referenda. Its presence in the communities is generating conflict.

Sign the online petition here.

Guatemala’s Highest Court Denies Justice to Indigenous Peoples Affected by Mining

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:59:02 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 15, 2013

Contacts:

Amanda Kistler - Center for International Environmental Law: akistler(at)ciel.org, 202-742-5832

Jen Moore – MiningWatch Canada: jen(at)miningwatch.ca, 613-569-3439

Guatemala’s Highest Court Denies Justice to Indigenous Peoples Affected by Mining

(Washington, D.C./Guatemala City/Ottawa) – On March 1, Guatemalan national press reported that the country’s highest court upheld the 1997 Mining Law against a constitutional challenge brought by the Western Peoples’ Council (CPO) for lack of prior consultation with indigenous peoples. The ruling, coming a year after the complaint was filed, contradicts Guatemala’s international human rights obligations, and represents a set back from a 2011 Constitutional Court decision that ruled in favor of the right of Guatemala’s indigenous majority to consultation on legislative proposals that could affect their lands and natural resources.

Guatemala’s mining sector has been the source of continual conflict, which, in recent months, has seen an increase in threats, criminalization and violence. With some 400 mining licenses issued and more than 700 pending, lack of respect for free, prior and informed consent is at the root of much of the tension.

Under Guatemala’s Peace Accords, the American Convention on Human Rights, and as a signatory to the International Labour Organization Convention No. 169 on the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, as well as having endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Guatemala is obliged to respect the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent for any project that could adversely impact them, and to consult with them before passing laws or administrative initiatives that would affect their rights.

“This ruling is a contravention of Guatemala’s international obligations to respect indigenous rights and an unwelcome reminder of how the Guatemalan legal system continues to deny justice to the country’s Mayan population,” said Kris Genovese, senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law.

In December 2011, in a step toward respect for such rights, the Constitutional Court overturned the government’s attempt to regulate prior consultation on the basis that it had not been consulted with indigenous peoples first. The recent ruling is a disappointing reverse.

“Not only is this ruling a negation of justice, it is a negation of the existence of indigenous peoples’ right to participate as political actors,” said Francisco Mateo Rocael, representative of the Western Peoples’ Council. “We knew the odds of winning were against us in this case. Despite our strong legal arguments, economic and political powers continue to influence how justice is carried out in Guatemala.”

Notably, in August 2012, just over a month following a hearing on the constitutional challenge against the mining law, a group of Canadian parliamentarians and one Canadian senator traveled on a company-paid trip to Guatemala with the Chairman of the Board of Goldcorp. Goldcorp is one of the largest gold producers in the world and has one of its most profitable mines in Guatemala’s northwestern highlands. During the three-day junket, the Canadian group met with the Guatemalan legislative commission charged with mining legislation in the country.

“We don’t know what took place behind closed doors, but the timing was crucial given that the Constitutional Court decision was due,” says Jen Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator at MiningWatch Canada. “While it is Guatemala’s obligation to respect the rights of indigenous peoples living there, we also need to ask what role Canadian interests might have played behind the scenes that run contrary to Canada’s responsibilities to promote respect for indigenous rights as well.”

The Western People’s Council, or CPO, will now bring this case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The CPO, a coalition of indigenous authorities and institutions from seven departments of Guatemala, has already organized nearly 60 community referenda, in which indigenous communities vote to decide whether or not to accept development projects on their lands. To date, over one million have voted against mining. A recent public opinion poll estimates that 66% of Guatemalans at large are opposed to mining.

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Center for International Environmental Law is committed to strengthening and using international law and institutions to protect the environment, promote human health, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy in the global public interest, including through legal counsel, policy research, analysis, education, training and capacity building.

Mining Watch Canada is a pan-Canadian initiative supported by environmental, social justice, Aboriginal and labour organizations from across the country. It addresses the urgent need for a coordinated public interest response to the threats to public health, water and air quality, fish and wildlife habitat and community interests posed by irresponsible mineral policies and practices in Canada and around the world.

Corte Constitucional de Guatemala niega justicia a pueblos indígenas afectados por la minería

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:09:38 +0000

PARA DIFUSION INMEDIATA

15 de marzo de 2013

Corte Constitucional de Guatemala niega justicia a pueblos indígenas afectados por la minería

(Washington, D.C./Ciudad de Guatemala/Ottawa) – El 1 de marzo, la prensa nacional de Guatemala dio a conocer que la corte más alta del país declaró sin lugar, un recurso de amparo interpuesto por el Consejo del Pueblo Maya de Occidente (CPO) en contra de la actual Ley Minera, vigente desde 1997. El CPO argumenta que la Ley Minera es inconstitucional porque se aprobó sin un proceso de consulta previa con los pueblos indígenas. La decisión de la corte, emitida un año después de que se presentó el recurso, contradice las obligaciones internacionales de Guatemala de respetar los derechos humanos y representa un retroceso con respeto a la decisión de 2011 de la Corte de Constitucionalidad cuando falló a favor del derecho de la población indígena a la consulta previa sobre actas administrativas o legislativas que podrían afectar sus territorios y recursos naturales.

El sector minero en Guatemala ha sido una fuente de conflicto permanente. Durante los últimos meses han aumentado las amenazas, la criminalización y la violencia en torno a los proyectos mineros. Hay más de 400 licencias mineras otorgadas y más de 700 licencias pendientes, y la falta de respeto para el consentimiento libre, previo e informado es la raíz de gran parte de la tensión.

Bajo los Acuerdos de Paz de Guatemala, la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos, el Convenio No. 169 de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas, y la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas, Guatemala está obligada a respetar el derecho de los pueblos indígenas al consentimiento libre, previo e informado sobre cualquier proyecto que podría impactarles de una forma adversa, y de consultarlos antes de aprobar leyes o iniciativas administrativas que afectarían sus derechos.

“Esta decisión es una contravención de las obligaciones internacionales de Guatemala de respetar los derechos indígenas, y un señal desagradable sobre como el sistema jurídico guatemalteco sigue negando la justicia a la población maya del país,” dijo Kris Genovese, abogada principal del Centro para el Derecho Internacional Ambiental (CIEL por sus siglas en inglés).

En diciembre de 2011, la Corte de Constitucionalidad dio un paso hacia mayor respeto para estos derechos al suspender definitivamente el reglamento para el proceso de la consulta previa propuesto por el gobierno debido a que los pueblos indígenas no habían sido consultados previamente sobre la propuesta. La decisión que la Corte emitió este mes es un retroceso decepcionante.

“Esta decisión no es solo una negación de la justicia, sino también una negación de la existencia del derecho de los pueblos indígenas de participar como actores políticos,” manifestó Francisco Mateo Rocael, representante del Consejo del Pueblo Maya de Occidente. “Sabíamos que fue poco probable ganar el recurso en este caso. A pesar de nuestros buenos argumentos legales, el poder económico y político aún tiene influencia sobre el sistema judicial en Guatemala.”

Cabe notar que en agosto de 2012, apenas un mes después de la audiencia sobre el recurso de inconstitucionalidad en contra de la Ley Minera, un grupo de parlamentarios canadienses y un senador canadiense, viajaron a Guatemala con el Presidente de la Junta Directiva de Goldcorp. La empresa minera Goldcorp pagó los costos del viaje. Goldcorp es una de los productores de oro más grandes del mundo y una de sus minas más lucrativas se ubica en el altiplano noroeste de Guatemala. Durante su estadía en el país, la delegación canadiense se reunió con la comisión legislativa encargada con el desarrollo de la legislación minera en Guatemala.

“No sabemos qué sucedió tras puertas cerradas, pero la delegación llegó en un momento crítico, cuando la decisión de la Corte de Constitucionalidad estaba pendiente,” comentó Jen Moore, Coordinadora del Programa sobre América Latina para Alerta Minera Canadá. “Guatemala tiene la obligación de respetar los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en el país, pero hay que preguntar también qué papel podrían haber jugado los intereses canadienses y de qué manera pudiera haber entrado en contradicción con la responsabilidad que tiene Canadá para promover el respeto para los derechos indígenas.”

El Consejo del Pueblo Maya de Occidente (CPO) llevará el caso a la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. El CPO es una coalición de autoridades e instituciones indígenas de siete departamentos de Guatemala, la cual ha organizado alrededor de 60 consultas comunitarias hasta la fecha en las que las comunidades indígenas votan para decidir si aceptan o rechazan los megaproyectos en sus territorios. Hasta la fecha, más de un millón de personas han votado contra la minería. Una encuesta efectuada a principios de 2013 muestra que 66% de la población guatemalteca se opone a la minería.

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Contactos:

• Amanda Kistler, Centro para el Derecho Internacional Ambiental, akistler@ciel.org, 202-742-5832

• Jen Moore, Alerta Minera Canadá, jen@miningwatch.ca, 613-569-3439

Centro para el Derecho Internacional Ambiental (CIEL) se ha comprometido a fortalecer y aprovechar las leyes e instituciones internacionales para proteger el medio ambiente, promover la salud humana y garantizar una sociedad justa y sostenible. CIEL es una organización sin ánimo de lucro dedicada a la incidencia para el bien común global proporcionando asesoramiento jurídico, investigación política, análisis, educación y construcción de capacidad.

Alerta Minera Canadá es una iniciativa pan-canadiense respaldada por organizaciones indígenas, del medio ambiente, de la justicia social y de sindicatos de diversas partes del país. Esta organización trabaja sobre la necesidad urgente de una respuesta coordinada ante los riesgos para la salud, la calidad del agua y el aire, el hábitat acuático y la vida silvestre, así como los valores de las comunidades afectadas por la imposición de las prácticas y políticas mineras en Canadá y en el resto del mundo. Tiene un enfoque especial sobre los patrones de operación de las empresas mineras canadienses y las políticas mineras del gobierno canadiense.

Tell Guatemalan Authorities: NO Extraction License for Tahoe Resources

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:39:50 +0000

Tell Guatemalan Authorities: NO Extraction License for Tahoe Resources

Just over a year ago, we asked for your help to protect the wellbeing of communities in San Rafael Las Flores, Guatemala, by contacting the Guatemalan Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) to halt the licensing of a silver mining project owned by the Canadian company Tahoe Resources (40% owned by Goldcorp). Today, we ask for your help again.

Under its international human rights obligations, Guatemala must consult populations that could be affected by a mining project, and further requires the consent of affected indigenous peoples. Not only were communities near the Tahoe project not consulted – including a community of indigenous Xinka peoples – but public referenda have shown that neighboring communities are opposed to the development of the mine. Seventeen local development councils and community mayors sent a letter to MEM last December requesting the refusal of the extraction license. Many of those living close to the mine worry that its operations could pollute the water upon which their livelihoods depend. Currently, there are over 200 pending complaints against the project, each of which, according to Guatemalan law, must be resolved by MEM before granting a license.

The communities of San Rafael remain as committed as ever in their non-violent opposition to the mine, though they have become the target of increasing intimidation and criminalization. Their organizing occurs in a context of escalating violence and insecurity. On January 11th, 2013, violence once again erupted in the area near the Tahoe mine site resulting in the death of three people, including two members of the company’s private security group. There is an ongoing investigation into these events to identify the responsible parties and motive.

As part of its response to the violence, Tahoe Resources publicly reiterated its confidence that the license will be granted, stating “[t]he Guatemalan President and the [MEM] have reassured us that the license is forthcoming.”

To show your support for the communities opposing the Tahoe mine, join the online action. Ask MEM to refuse the extraction license to Tahoe Resources.

International Organizations Call for Better Protection for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 19:36:09 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 21, 2012

International Organizations Call for Better Protection for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala

(Washington, D.C.) – In the context of growing threats against human rights defenders, particularly those working in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples and the right to a healthy environment, thirty two international organizations have called on the President of Guatemala to strengthen the government office designed for the analysis of attacks against human rights defenders. The organizations also ask that the authorities and institutions implement strategies to protect human rights defenders and prevent future attacks.

According to Guatemalan law, communities have the right to participate in decisions that will affect their wellbeing and the enjoyment of their rights. Yet, those leading efforts to defend territory and oppose large-scale extraction projects have been confronted with threats, which have sometimes resulted in violence. Between January and June 2012, the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (UDEFEGUA) registered 145 acts of aggression against human rights defenders, more than half of which were against defenders of indigenous rights, the environment and sustainable development.

“In addition to outright threats and violence, it is increasingly common for community leaders and human rights activists to face threats from their own justice system, which pursues frivolous legal cases against leaders on trumped-up charges such as terrorism,” says Kelsey Alford-Jones, Director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission. “Criminalization is used as a tool to undermine the leadership of popular movements and to silence opposition. In contrast, the perpetrators of attacks against these defenders often enjoy impunity. It is yet another indication that the scales of justice are so heavily tipped in favor of corporate interests.”

The office, an inter-agency working group that engages both government and civil society organizations, renewed its mandate in early 2012, yet the government did not initiate meetings for almost six months. The signatories to the letter recommend that the office should aim to hold those responsible for attacks against human rights defenders accountable, stop violations already underway, and work to prevent future attacks. Through its analysis, the office could better evaluate the existing institutional gaps that contribute to increasing persecution of community leaders.

“It’s not enough to create a government institution that documents patterns of attacks against human rights defenders,” says Amanda Kistler, Program Associate at the Center for International Environmental Law in Washington, D.C. “It must be accompanied by a statewide commitment and concrete steps to protect and prevent future threats to the lives of these community defenders.”

In the letter, the thirty two organizations highlight a wave of attacks against environmental defenders, as well as a series of cases of criminalization, between May and August of this year. They also ask that the Government of Guatemala take immediate, explicit and public steps to recognize and legitimize the important work of human rights defenders. This includes a public denunciation of persecution, investigation into the threats, and prosecution of the perpetrators. This also includes dismissing cases of criminalization. They conclude asking the government to respond to their letter regarding the steps Guatemala is undertaking to ensure the protection of human rights defenders.

Contacts:

Amanda Kistler – Center for International Environmental Law: akistler@ciel.org

Kelsey Alford-Jones – Guatemala Human Rights Commission: kajones@ghrc-usa.org

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Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is committed to strengthening and using international law and institutions to protect the environment, promote human health, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy in the global public interest, including through legal counsel, policy research, analysis, education, training and capacity building.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) is a non-profit, grassroots, solidarity organization dedicated to promoting human rights in Guatemala and supporting communities and human rights defenders who face threats and violence. GHRC documents and denounces abuses, educates the international community, and advocates for policies that foster peace and justice.

Guatemala’s Highest Court to Hear Landmark Indigenous Challenge against Mining Law

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:05:22 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, July 20, 2012

(Washington D.C./Guatemala City) Today, Guatemala’s Constitutional Court will hear a case challenging the constitutionality of the 1997 mining law for failure to consult with the country’s indigenous peoples who make up more than half the population. The lawsuit, filed by the Western Peoples Council (CPO), contends that both national and international law require that the government consult with indigenous peoples before approving policies with significant impacts on their territories.

Three weeks ago, President Otto Pérez Molina proposed controversial reforms to the current law, including direct state participation in mining projects. He also lifted the previous administration’s moratorium on the approval of new concessions. The moratorium dates back to 2008 when the Constitutional Court ruled that seven articles in the mining law are unconstitutional, stalling approval of any new licences until national consensus could be reached on mining reforms.

Only six months into its mandate, the administration of Pérez Molina has already approved 68 new exploration and exploitation licences. In total, 387 mining concessions have been granted with another 734 pending, many on indigenous territory.

“In 1996, the Government of Guatemala ratified the International Labour Organization’s Convention 169 on the rights of indigenous peoples and signed the Agreement on the Rights and Identity of Indigenous Peoples as part of the Peace Accords. Its obligation to respect the rights of indigenous peoples in this country is long overdue,” said Francisco Mateo Morales of CPO. “This is a historic opportunity for Guatemala’s highest court to uphold indigenous rights.”

The lack of prior consent and consultation at the project and policy level is at the root of much conflict and violence in Guatemala’s mining sector. Over 70 municipalities have held referendums in which nearly a million people having voted against mining in their territories, but neither the government nor mining companies have respected the results. Meanwhile, targeted attacks and criminalization against those opposed to mining has intensified.

In Guatemala’s northwest, Goldcorp’s Marlin mine has been the site of conflict since prior to going into operation in 2005 and multiple international human rights bodies have recommended its suspension for failure to obtain the consent of affected Maya Mam and Sipakense indigenous peoples, as well as threats to local water supplies and public health. A People’s Health Tribunal also found last week that Goldcorp should suspend its operations as a result of such risks.

In eastern Guatemala, in the municipality of El Estor, the dispute over the Fénix nickel mine has led to three lawsuits against HudBay Minerals in Canadian courts, arising from the rape of eleven women during a violent eviction of the community of Lote Ocho in January 2007, and the murder of community activist Adolfo Ich and wounding of Germán Choc in September 2009.

Near the capital city, community members from the municipalities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc are sustaining a now four-month blockade against the entry of Vancouver-based Radius Gold. Local spokespeople have filed repeated complaints for threats received, while Yolanda Oquelí was recently shot and wounded in a drive-by attack when leaving the blockade on June 13th.

In the southwestern municipality of San Rafael de las Flores, at the site of Tahoe Resources’ Escobal project, community members who gathered some 1,000 signatures for a local referendum over mining were forced out of the committee responsible for overseeing the consultation process.

“International law clearly protects the rights of indigenous peoples to be consulted over legislation that affects their territories,” said Kris Genovese, Senior Attorney with the Center for International Environmental Law in Washington D.C. “A favourable ruling in this case is a necessary step to address existing conflicts and to demonstrate to the international community that the rule of law exists in Guatemala.”

The Constitutional Court will have twenty days to rule on the case after the hearing. In the event that the Court does not rule in their favor, the CPO will bring the case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, having exhausted all domestic recourse to halt violations to human and indigenous rights as a result of the mining law.

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Contacts:

Kris Genovese, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), kgenovese(at)ciel.org, (202) 742-5832
Jennifer Moore, MiningWatch Canada, jen(at)miningwatch.ca, (613) 569-3439

International delegation sends strong message to Goldcorp at annual shareholders meeting in South Porcupine, Ontario

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:14:58 +0000

International delegation sends strong message to Goldcorp at annual shareholders meeting in South Porcupine, Ontario

30 April 2012

On Thursday, a Colorado-based mine and environmental engineer, two Honduran teachers, and a Maya indigenous community leader made the long trip to Timmins, Ontario to participate in Goldcorp’s Annual General Meeting. Accompanied by several US and Canadian member organizations of the Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala, they called upon the company to take responsibility for the cleanup at current mine sites, and alerted shareholders to outstanding public health issues, environmental degradation and conflict.

“Today Timmins is celebrating 100 years as a mining town. Goldcorp’s San Martín mine in the Siria Valley in Honduras didn’t even operate for ten years, and now we have problems that could last us for more than one hundred,” said Honduran high school teacher Reina Gamero to Timmins press.

Gamero, a member of the Siria Valley Environmental Committee, continued: “We’ve seen people get sick and riverbeds dry up. A Honduran government health study carried out in 2007 was suppressed until 2011 in which we learned that many people tested have heavy metal poisoning. We want the company to address this.”

Carlos Amador, also from the Siria Valley Environmental Committee in Honduras, added that researchers have already found evidence that the mine installations are generating acid mine drainage. “The company has put in place some mitigating measures, but we have no guarantee that they will ever be enough or that there’s any money left to make sure that this grave issue is monitored forever,” said Amador. “I was here a year ago and asked the same question. I’m still waiting for an answer from the company about its commitment.”

Colorado-based mine and environmental engineer Rob Robinson, who has more than forty years of experience and is a volunteer with the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, presented a shareholder proposal at the company’s AGM held in the Northern College cafeteria. The proposal called for Goldcorp to take responsibility for adequate closure at its Marlin mine in Guatemala, the company’s third most profitable mine in 2011.

“The surety bond of $1 million for this mine is highly inadequate given our findings that closure costs could be at least $49 million. There is also little public information about the company’s closure plans, and what’s available is highly insufficient,” said Robinson. “Communities need this information and must be fully consulted about the company’s closure plans before they’re finalized, since it will be them who have to live with the long-term impacts from this highly profitable mine for the company and its shareholders. Before the company packs up and walks away from the Marlin mine, it should meet industry best practice for closure.”

UUSC, the Loretto Literary Benevolent Society and an individual shareholder co-filed the shareholder resolution that was voted on at the AGM, which was also the focus of an online petition circulated by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law last week.

“More than 5,000 people have signed a petition in support of the shareholder resolution, which calls upon the company to ensure that Guatemalans aren’t left with the long-term costs of clean up at the Marlin mine,” said Tara Scurr, Business and Human Rights campaigner for Amnesty International Canada. “Shareholders should take note of the growing public pressure at home and abroad to ensure companies respect human rights at former project sites long after operations cease.”

Alfonso Morales Jiménez of Guatemala says that such experiences are why his municipality and many others have voted against metal mining in their communities. Morales, a leader with the Indigenous Assembly for Territorial Defense in the department of Huehuetenango, lives in a neighbouring community to San Marcos, where the Marlin mine operates. Dozens of mining concessions have been granted in his department.

“The risks that industrial mining poses for our communities are simply too great,” remarks Morales Jiménez. “We’ve taken a look at the Marlin mine and decided that this is not the sort of development that we want for our communities. Many others have decided not to support such development in a similar way, with some 60 local referenda having been held to date on this issue in municipalities across Guatemala. Almost everyone votes no.”

Goldcorp recommended voting against the shareholder resolution on the Marlin mine closure plan. The company’s legal counsel David Deisley did, however, express a verbal commitment to begin discussions with the Guatemalan government about increasing the financial surety for Marlin to an amount commensurate with their own closure costs estimate of $27.6 million. He added that they would disclose their plans and ask the Ministry of the Environmental to consult with affected communities regarding the closure plan.

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For more information contact:

Elizabeth Berton-Hunter , Amnesty International Canada , (416) 363-9933 ext 332,  Mobile (416) 904-7158

Jen Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator, MiningWatch Canada, 613-569-3439

Delegación internacional envía un mensaje firme a Goldcorp en su asamblea anual de accionistas en South Porcupine, Ontario

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:15:40 +0000

Delegación internacional envía un mensaje firme a Goldcorp en su asamblea anual de accionistas en South Porcupine, Ontario

Monday, April 30, 2012

(Ottawa/Toronto) El pasado jueves [26 de abril de 2012], un ingeniero de minas y medio ambiente de Colorado, dos maestros de Honduras y un dirigente de una comunidad indígena maya hicieron el largo viaje a Timmins, Ontario, para participar en la Asamblea General Anual de Goldcorp acompañados por varios integrantes de la Coalición [Internacional] contra la Minería Injusta en Guatemala de EEUU y Canadá. Instaron a la empresa a hacerse responsable de la limpieza de las minas que operan actualmente y alertaron a los accionistas sobre importantes peligros para la salud pública, la degradación ambiental y los conflictos sociales.

La maestra de secundaria de Honduras Reina Gamero declaró a la prensa de Timmins: “Hoy Timmins celebra sus cien años como pueblo minero. Goldcorp explotó la mina Martín durante menos de diez años en el Valle de Siria en Honduras pero los problemas que nos causó pueden afectarnos durante más de cien años.

Gamero, integrante del Comité Ambiental del Valle de Siria, continuó: “Hemos visto cómo la gente enferma y se secan los ríos. Un informe sobre salud que realizó el gobierno de Honduras en 2007 fue censurado hasta 2011, y entonces nos enteramos que muchas personas padecían envenenamiento por metales pesados. Queremos que la empresa solucione esta situación.”

Carlos Amador, también integrante del Comité Ambiental del Valle de Siria en Honduras, agregó que varias investigaciones han demostrado que las instalaciones mineras están produciendo drenaje de ácidos. “La empresa ha iniciado algunas medidas para reducirlos pero no tenemos garantía de que sean suficientes o de que haya dinero para asegurar el monitoreo permanente de esta grave situación”, dijo Amador. “Estuve aquí hace un año e hice la misma pregunta. Todavía estoy esperando una respuesta de la empresa sobre sus responsabilidades.”

Rob Robinson, ingeniero de minas y medio ambiente de Colorado que cuenta con más de cuarenta años de experiencia, voluntario del Comité de Servicio de la Congregación Unitaria y Universal (CSCUU), presentó en la Asamblea General Anual la propuesta de algunos accionistas que se reunieron en la cafetería del Northern College. En esta propuesta piden a Goldcorp que cierre de una manera responsable y adecuada la mina Marlin en Guatemala, la tercera más rentable para la empresa en 2011.

“La fianza de un millón de dólares para esta mina es decididamente insuficiente a la luz de nuestros estudios, que establecen que los costos de cierre serían al menos de cuarenta y nueve millones. Además, hay poca información pública sobre los planes de cierre de la empresa y la que se difunde es a todas luces insuficiente,” dijo Robinson. “Las comunidades necesitan esta información y deberán ser consultadas sobre todo lo relativo a los planes de cierre antes de que concluyan, porque serán ellas las que vivirán en el futuro con las secuelas de esta mina tan rentable para la empresa y sus accionistas. Antes de que la empresa concluya sus operaciones y abandone la mina Marlin, deberá cumplir con los procedimientos más adecuados para el cierre.”

El CSCUU, la Sociedad Literaria de Beneficencia de Loretto y un accionista a título personal presentaron conjuntamente la propuesta de los accionistas, la cual fue votada en la Asamblea General Anual. La propuesta también dio lugar a una solicitud de apoyo que circularon Amnistía Internacional y el Centro para el Derecho Ambiental Internacional vía Internet la semana pasada.

“Mas de cinco mil personas firmaron la solicitud de apoyo a esta resolución de los accionistas que insta a la empresa a que garantice que los guatemaltecos no tengan que asumir los costos de limpieza a largo plazo de la mina Marlin,” dijo Tara Scurr, defensora de los derechos humanos frente a las empresas de Amnistía Internacional de Canadá. “Los accionistas deberán tomar nota de la creciente presión pública a nivel nacional e internacional para que las empresas respeten los derechos humanos en los lugares donde se ubican sus proyectos aun después de concluidas sus operaciones.”

Alfonso Morales Jiménez de Guatemala dijo que estas experiencias demuestran porqué el municipio donde reside y muchos otros han votado en contra de las minas en sus comunidades. Morales, dirigente de la Asamblea Indígena para la Defensa del Territorio del departamento de Huehuetenango, reside en una comunidad de San Marcos cerca de donde opera la mina. Se han otorgado decenas de concesiones mineras en el departamento donde vive.

“Los riesgos que representa la minería industrial para nuestras comunidades son demasiado altos,” dijo Morales Jiménez. “Hemos investigado la mina Marlin y hemos decidido que no es el tipo de desarrollo que queremos para nuestras comunidades. Muchas otras personas también han rechazado este tipo de desarrollo y hasta hoy se han realizado sesenta consultas locales sobre esta problemática en varios municipios de Guatemala. Casi todos votan en contra.”

Goldcorp recomendó que se votara en contra de la resolución de los accionistas sobre el plan de cierre para la mina Marlin. Sin embargo, David Deisley, asesor legal de la empresa, expresó verbalmente el compromiso de empezar un diálogo con el gobierno de Guatemala sobre el aumento de la fianza para la mina Marlin a un monto de 27.6 millones de dólares, costo que la misma empresa calcula para el cierre. También dijo que la empresa dará a conocer sus planes y pedirá al Ministerio de Medio Ambiente que realice consultas con las comunidades afectadas sobre el plan de cierre.

-fin-

Para más información:

Elizabeth Berton-Hunter, Amnistía Internacional de Canadá, (416) 363-9933, ext. 332, celular: (416) 904-7158
Jen Moore, Coordinadora del Programa de América Latina, Acción Minera Canadá, 613 569-3439

M4 RESOLUTION ON THE EXTRACTIVE MINING MODEL

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:40:39 +0000

M4 RESOLUTION ON THE EXTRACTIVE MINING MODEL

Mining companies invade our land and all of them, the majority Canadian,violate our fundamental human rights. Throughout Mesoamerica, mining has displaced people from their homes and indigenous territories and has generated serious health problems in places like Valle de Siria in Honduras, San Miguel Ixtahuacán in Guatemala, and Carrizalillo in Mexico.

In passing through our territories, the companies have poisoned springs and divided communities and families; they have deforested land, destroyed biodiversity and threatened food sovereignty in rural and indigenous areas. The companies contribute to the corruption of our countries’ local and national authorities, and also serve as principal actors in the rising repression and criminalization we face from the government when we demand respect for our rights or when we denounce environmental injustices. As a result, activists and human rights defenders from Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico have received death threats, suffered injuries, faced jail time and been murdered. Within this extractive mining model, green mining or sustainable mining does not exist and neither does the corporate social responsibility that the companies so persistently present, in spite of the evidence of social violence and irreparable environmental damages generated by their investments.

The M4 declares that the extractive mining model is intrinsicallyunsustainable due to its characteristics and mode of operation. The economic model transfers huge earnings to a few transnational mining companies at the cost of the displacement and impoverishment of theMesoamerican people.

As affected communities, social movements, networks, organizations, subsistence farmers and indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica, we lift our voices in opposition to the extractive mining model in our region. We call on society to resist this model with us and to create alternative lifestyles, in which respect for human rights, not profit or environmental destruction, determines the way we live.

To note the particular case of Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine in Guatemala, theCanadian company does not even have an adequate closure plan, which will seriously impact the health, water, food, and housing of indigenouscommunities in the area. Goldcorp has provided a USD$1 million surety bond, when at least USD$49 million is needed for closure and companyassets surpass the real GDP of Guatemala. Goldcorp’s Human Rights Assessment for the Marlin Mine fails to provide sufficient details on the closure plan, costs and schedule and the Canadian company will not allow a third party to verify the plan. Furthermore, the company has failed to inform communities directly affected by mining operations, as well as communities within the broader territory affected. The mine has caused serious and irreversible health problems in local communities. In September 2011, Goldcorp was eliminated from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

The Mesoamerican Movement Against the Extractive Mining Model (M4):

1) Demands that the Canadian company Goldcorp guarantee a sufficient surety bond for the closing of the Marlin Mine in Guatemala, in proportion to the estimated USD$49 million. The exact amount should be adjusted after a thorough dissemination of the company’s closure plan, an independent analysis, and a detailed report on the closure plan created before an open and informed consultation with the affected communities.

2) Asks that we join together in solidarity, as Goldcorp holds its shareholder meeting on April 26, 2012. We join Canadian struggles, organizations, and social movements that, in solidarity with Latin America and for their own well-being, will declare opposition to this Canadian company that preys on Latin American territory.

3) Urges pension funds and other economic sectors in Canada to withdraw their investments from Goldcorp. The company destroys the environment, corrupts local authorities, and generates waves of violence and systemic human rights violations in our territories. Company profits and gold are generated at the cost of thousands of lives of indigenous peoples and subsistence farmers affected by mining. People are dying of cancer and other diseases produced by the mine’s toxic waste.

4) Announces the next Popular International Health Tribunal co-organized by affected peoples from Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as organizations from Canada and the USA, to denounce the health effects of Goldcorp investments in the region.

5) Launches, in alliance with other social movements on this continent and throughout the world, a campaign calling on Goldcorp to leave our territories.

6) Calls for the strengthening of the campaign against the use and consumption of gold.

7) Stresses the importance of the passage of Law C-323. The law would permit foreign citizens to accuse Canadian mining companies in Canadian courts for human rights violations committed in other countries against mine-affected populations.

8) Joins other social and indigenous movements in pressuring Canadian company Barrick Gold to withdraw “Barrick Hall” from the Natural History Museum of Ottawa. Barrick Gold, the first transnational company to extract gold, has a history of irreparable environmental damage throughout the world, including Canada, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Tanzania, and Papa New Guinea.

9) Rejects the commercialization of natural resources and Mother Earth, as well as the discourse on the “Green Economy” as promoted by Rio+20 and the G20 in conferences to take place in June of this year.

10) Urges social movements in South America to create a base for dialogue and alliances against the extractive mining model throughout the continent. We welcome the People’s Summit that will take place in June 2012 as an opportunity to strengthen the struggles of our people.

GOLDCORP OUT OF OUR TERRITORIES!

From Panama to Canada, NO to mining!

MESOAMERICAN MOVEMENT AGAINST THE EXTRACTIVE MINING MODEL (M4)

leer mas: http://www.movimientom4.org

Cast Your “Vote” – Guatemalans Shouldn’t Have to Pay for Goldcorp’s Mess

goldcorpoutofguatemala — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:41:39 +0000

Your support is needed to help defend the rights of indigenous peoples living in Guatemala’s western highlands. The Canadian mining company Goldcorp could leave impoverished communities with a multi-million dollar bill to pay after it has extracted all of the gold from the Marlin mine.

On April 26th, Goldcorp shareholders will decide if the company will post a financial guarantee to cover the estimated closure cost for the Marlin mine and make its closure plan public. Goldcorp has recommended shareholders vote against this resolution.

To encourage Goldcorp investors to support the resolution and to show them that people around the world are watching, CIEL and its allies, like Amnesty International, have created a petition in support of the resolution.

As someone who values the right to live in a healthy environment, we are asking you to cast your symbolic “vote” in favor of this important resolution and in support of Guatemalan communities.

TAKE ACTION: via CIEL or Amnesty.

Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine in Guatemala is one of the company’s most profitable gold mines, but mining is taking place – and in fact expanding - without the consent of indigenous peoples whose drinking water and farm lands may be affected. Goldcorp pledges $28 million for mine closure costs, but has posted a mere $1 million financial guarantee. Respected, independent studies indicate the company has grossly underestimated the real costs of mine closure, which could total $49 million or more. Guatemalans shouldn’t have to pay to clean up Goldcorp’s mess.

Vote now to urge Canadian mining company Goldcorp to act responsibly, and respect the rights of Mayan people living near the mine.

The shareholder resolution and the petition are supported by communities in Guatemala. The petition will also be delivered to the company and media at the shareholders meeting.

Let’s make our voices heard. Please sign this petition and share it widely.