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Urgent Action
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Dear Friends,
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Site of the protest at the Marlin Mine.
CREDIT: Corresponsal Oscar Toledo, Prensa Libre, Guatemala |
For over 40 days, local communities in Guatemala have been resisting the Canadian/US Glamis Gold Mining Company. On January 8th Guatemalan authorities indicated that they were prepared to call in the military to get the mining equipment past protesters.
On January 11th, we heard eyewitness accounts from the well-respected CNOC (National Coordinating Committee of Campesino Organizations) that two protesters, Raul Castro Bocel and Miguel Tzorin Tuy, were killed by Guatemalan authorities.
In November KAIROS was one of 127 signatories to an Open Letter to Oscar Berger, President of Guatemala. We called on him to demand that work on the Marlin mine be delayed until a transparent and public negotiation table with all potentially affected communities is struck and the principle of free, prior and informed consent from indigenous communities is fully respected. See also our letter to Trade Minister Jim Peterson protesting the killings and the mine.
Act quickly to prevent further violence and to safeguard the rights of indigenous communities
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BACKGROUND: |
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For over forty days platform trailers carrying milling cylinders for Glamis Gold’s Marlin mine in the western department of San Marcos have been blocked from reaching the mine by the local community. When the equipment reached a pedestrian bridge, workers from the transport company tried to cut away and destroy the community’s bridge so that the trailer could pass. When the local population discovered that the equipment was for mining, they organized to protect the bridge and prevent the mine equipment from passing.
On the first day of the protest more than 2000 indigenous farmers and villagers gathered and tried to halt the convoy from moving forward. The convoy has remained at a lookout point guarded by private police under the vigilance of local villagers.
Despite the fact that the local mayor has repeatedly stated that his community’s demands must be respected, the Guatemalan Interior Ministry has stated that it is ready to call in troops to escort the convoy through local protests. Indeed, late on January 11th word came that the National Police and the Military were violently working to guarantee passage past protesters.
Opposition to the mine exploration began when the previous administration granted a mining license to Glamis in late 2003. Despite public assurances to the contrary, neither the company, nor the World Bank or Guatemalan government, properly consulted local communities as stipulated by both national law and international agreements. Once the communities discovered the extent of potential impacts, including violations of human rights of local indigenous populations and the environmental risks inherent in the cyanide leaching refinement process, they began to organize across four provinces in support of the San Marcos communities calling for the government/company to engage in direct dialogue with them. As tensions rise and patience grows short, neither the company nor the government show signs of engaging those opposed to the mine.
Moreover, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation lent Glamis Gold $45 million to develop the mine despite written opposition to the mine project by local organizations and the non-compliance of the WB-IFC to the Bank’s own recommendations regarding extractive industries investments. Despite the fact that they have been informed of the situation in Guatemala since early December they have not demonstrated any accountability, leadership, or willingness to address the situation.
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TAKE ACTION: |
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Write to Guatemalan Authorities, Glamis Gold Company, the World Bank and Canadian Government Officials
- Demand an immediate end to the violence and an immediate withdrawal of armed forces. The right to protest needs to be respected and a peaceful solution should be actively sought out.
- Demand that work on the Glamis Gold mine be stopped until a transparent and public negotiation table with all potentially affected communities is struck and completes it task.
- Demand that ILO Convention 169, requiring consultation with local indigenous communities, and that the principle of free, prior and informed consent be respected.
- Call on the Canadian government, Glamis Gold and the World Bank to use every measure possible to guarantee that the Guatemalan government does not use the military to facilitate private business pursuits.
Email ADDRESSES:
1. Carlos Vielman, Minister of the Interior, Ministro de Gobernacion,
Guatemala, ministro@mingob.gob.gt
2. Glamis Gold: 310-5190 Neil Road, Reno Nevada, USA 89502 info@glamis.com
3. Hon. Pierre Pettigrew, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs
Canada, Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca
4. Hon. Jim Peterson, Minister of International Trade, Peterson.J@parl.gc.ca
5. Marcel Massé, Canadian E.D., World Bank Group, mmasse@worldbank.org
6) CC to KAIROS: Rusa Jeremic, rjeremic@kairoscanada.org
SAMPLE TEXT:
DATE
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs Canada
Honourable Pierre Pettigrew,
I am shocked and very alarmed to hear that two campesino protesters, Raul Castro Bocel and Miguel Tzorin Tuy, were killed while protesting the passage of platform trailers destined for an unauthorized mining project in San Marcos. We are calling on you to work toward an immediate end to the use of violence and guarantee a withdrawal of armed personnel so that a peaceful resolution can ensue.
Glamis Gold, a Canadian/US company must stop its operation until
a public and transparent negotiation process is completed that includes
all potentially affected communities. The ILO Convention 169 requires
consultation with local communities. The World Bank, in its Extractive
Industries Review, maintains that free, prior and informed consent
needs to be obtained from affected communities before any extractive
activity can begin.
I call on the Canadian government to voice its strong objection
to the World Bank and Glamis Gold for proceeding with the Marlin
Mine in direct violation of ILO 169 and the principle of free, prior
and informed consent of affected communities.
In addition, I call on the Canadian government to use every measure
possible to ensure that the Guatemalan government does not continue
to use military force to facilitate private Canadian business pursuits
in serious violation of indigenous communities’ human rights.
I am monitoring the situation closely and look forward to hearing
about what measures have been taken to address this dangerous and
escalating situation. I anxiously await your reply.
Sincerely,
CC: KAIROS
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