 
Letter to Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
15 December 2005
Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Regarding: Cerro de San Pedro, Mexican community under threat
due to Canadian mining operation
Dear Minister Pettigrew:
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, a coalition of
churches and religious organizations in Canada has a long history
of monitoring the human rights situation in Mexico. Since the implementation
of NAFTA we have worked closely with organizations and communities.
In March 2005, I traveled with a KAIROS-sponsored delegation of
Canadian church leaders traveled to Mexico to meet with Cerro de
San Pedro community residents and FAO (Broad Opposition Front) members,
who are working to preserve their historic village and the unique
biodiversity surrounding it.
We are extremely concerned to hear from our partners that MSX,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian mining company Metallica Resources,
is disregarding the law and pushing forward with preparations for
a proposed open-pit gold mine in Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico. We
were told that in the second week of December, MSX resumed working
on communal lands owned by Cerro de San Pedro residents violating
a state decree known as September 23, 1993 Decree.
In addition, we were disturbed to learn that residents of Cerro
de San Pedro and concerned citizens, members of the Broad Opposition
Front (FAO), are being persecuted and repressed by state authorities
for lawfully resisting MSX’s illegal actions.
We are extremely concerned for their safety and for the future
of this proposed UNESCO world heritage site. We do not understand
how a Canadian company can continue to operate in clear violation
of Mexican law.
We are calling upon the Canadian government to take immediate action
to ensure that Metallica is respecting the community’s wishes.
Indeed, at a bare minimum, before undertaking any further actions,
Metallica must demonstrate that it has obtained the community’s
full, prior, and informed consent.
This matter is urgent. If Metallica continues to move forward,
KAIROS partners tell us that it will cause irreparable harm to the
community and ecology. Therefore, we are anxiously waiting to hear
what the Canadian government is doing to ensure that Metallica is
respectful of both Mexican law and community residents.
Sincerely,
Father Paul Hansen
Chairperson, KAIROS
| cc. |
Ana Maria Garcia Alvarado, Frente Amplio Opositor, Mexico
Alexa McDonough, NDP 613.992.8569
Francine Lalonde, BQ 613. 996.5173
Stockwell Day, Conservative 613.995.1154
Ambassador Gaëtan Lavertu 011.52.55.57.24.7985 |
 Top
of page
|
