GUATEMALA: Government Orders the Suspension of Goldcorp Inc's "Marlin Mine"
The Guatemalan government of President Colom has decided, in response to an order from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (of the OAS, Organization of American States), to suspend Goldcorp Inc's open-pit, cyanide leaching gold mine.
BELOW: news articles about the suspension
Since 2004, many community based, national and international organizations have documented and denounced a wide range of environmental and health harms, and other human rights violations at Goldcorp's "Marlin" mine, in western Guatemala. And since that time, these documented harms and violations have been met by a sturdy wall of impunity and silence, both in Guatemala and in Canada.
For example, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) - that has $256,000,000 invested in Goldcorp - has been made aware, regularly, for years, about the harms and violations, and fundamentally ignored this information. This would be true for other investment funds across Canada. The Canadian government and numerous politicians have been made aware, regularly, for years, about the harms and violations, and fundamentally ignored this information. There are no laws in Canada to hold Canadian companies criminally or civilly accountable for harms and violations that they cause in other countries.
RISK OF REPRISALS: While the mining affected communities - the Mayan-Mam and Mayan-Sipakapan communities of San Miguel Ixtahuacan and Sipakapa - are heartened by this news, they also are fearful of possible reprisals and repression.
RIGHTS ACTION DELEGATION: On July 4-6th, Grahame Russell of Rights Action will lead a delegation-seminar of North Americans to visit the mine affected communities of San Miguel Ixtahuacan and Sipakapa.
HOW TO SUPPORT MINE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN GUATEMALA AND HONDURAS: See below
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Grahame Russell, Rights Action (1-860-751-4285, info@rightsaction.org). www.rightsaction.org
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GUATEMALA SAYS TO SUSPEND GOLDCORP'S MARLIN MINE
http://af.reuters.com/article/metalsNews/idAFN2325995720100624
Jun 24, 2010
GUATEMALA CITY, June 23 (Reuters) - The Guatemalan government said on Wednesday it would suspend operations at Goldcorp Inc's Marlin mine due to allegations the facility was contaminating water supplies. The government said in a statement it would act to comply with the complaint lodged on behalf of communities near the mine by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, known by its Spanish acronym CIDH.
"In response to the CIDH's request for a suspension of operations ... (the government) will comply in order to meet its international treaty obligations," the statement said. The suspension will be ordered even though Guatemalan officials have not been able to confirm the allegations through testing, the
government said. A CIDH delegation is due to visit the mine in July.
The Marlin mine produced 274,900 ounces of gold and 4.157 million ounces of silver in 2009, according to Goldcorp's website. The Canadian company is the sole owner of the mine.
Goldcorp officials were not immediately available to comment on the Guatemalan government's decision. (Reporting by Sarah Grainger; Writing by Robert Campbell; editing by Carol Bishopric)
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GOBIERNO ACEPTA SUSPENDER EXPLOTACIÓN DE LA MINA MARLIN
http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/politica/Gobierno-Guatemala-suspender-explotacion-Marlin_0_285571673.html
El Gobierno de Guatemala anunció este miércoles, suspender la explotación de la mina Marlin, de la empresa Gold Corp/Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, S. A., a solicitud de las medidas cautelares exigidas por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) de la OEA.
En corrillos gubernamentales se comentó que por la situación derivada por la mina Marlin, el presidente Álvaro Colom le solicitó la renuncia a Carlos Meany, ministro de Energía y Minas, con el argumento de que no logró manejar el asunto de manera adecuada. Sin embargo, oficialmente, el mandatario señaló que Meany renunció por problemas de salud.
Dicha mina se encuentra operando en los municipios de Sicapacapa y San Miguel Ixtahuacán, San Marcos, y en diversas instancias se denunció sobre la contaminación que provoca, lo cual afecta a los pobladores de los municipios mencionados y el medio ambiente.
El Ejecutivo señaló a través de un comunicado, que "suspenderá las actividades mineras aludidas, y atenderá la solicitud de la CIDH para dar cumplimiento a sus compromisos internacionales en el campo de los Derechos Humanos".
También agrega, que de acuerdo como el ordenamiento interno lo permita, se iniciará el proceso administrativo, con el fin de que la medida cautelar cobre vigencia, es decir se suspendan las actividades de explotación y exploración.
En respuesta a otras de las recomendaciones señaladas por el CIDH, el Ejecutivo informó que los análisis realizados por el Ministerio de Salud, de Ambiente y de Energía no evidencian contaminación en el agua que consumen las comunidades cercanas a la mina. Además, no se detectó ninguna enfermedad vinculada con la presunta contaminación producida la Mina Marlin.
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TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS for indigenous and campesino communities resisting the harms and violations of mining projects and carrying out their own environmental justice, community development and human rights projects in Guatemala and Honduras, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
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WRITE YOUR OWN LETTER OF COMPLAINT AND DENUNCIATION to your own politician and to the offices (listed below), denouncing the environmental and health harms and human rights violations at Goldcorp's mines in Guatemala and Honduras, demanding:
1- that Canada publicly support the suspension of the mine in Guatemala
2- a public, Canadian/ international inquiry into the harms and violations caused by Goldcorp's mining in Guatemala
3- compensation and reparations for Mayan communities harmed by gold mining
4- the passing of comprehensive criminal and civil law reform in Canada, so as to be able to hold Canadian companies and investors accountable for environmental and health harms and human rights violations
EDUCATIONAL DELEGATIONS TO CENTRAL AMERICA: Form your own group or join one of our delegations to learn first hand about community development, human rights and environmental struggles (info@rightsaction.org)
EDUCATION IN YOUR HOME COMMUNITY: Contact us to plan educational presentations in your own community, school, place of worship, home (info@rightsaction.org
WWW.RIGHTSACTION.ORG
JOIN our listserv: write to: info@rightsaction.org
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CREATE YOUR OWN email and mail lists and re-distribute this information
RECOMMENDED DAILY NEWS: www.democracynow.org / www.upsidedownworld.org / www.dominionpaper.ca
RECOMMENDED BOOKS: Eduardo Galeano's "Open Veins of Latin America"; Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"; Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine"; Paolo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed"; Dr Seuss's "Horton Hears A Who"
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CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A1
info@gg.ca, (613) 993-8200, 800 465-6890
Duncan Mousseau, Director, Policy, Planning and Correspondence
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
DMousseau@GG.CA
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
harpes@parl.gc.ca
Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
cannol@parl.gc.ca
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) Peter Kent
125 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G2
613) 992-0253, kent.p@parl.gc.ca
Gilles Duceppe, leader, Bloc Quebecois
1200 Papineau Av, #350, Montreal, QC, H2K 4R5
ducepg@parl.gc.ca
Jack Layton, leader, New Democratic Party
221 Broadview Ave, Suite 100, Toronto, ON, MM 2G3
laytoj@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May, leader, Green Party
Saanich Gulf Islands EDA, PO Box 20076, Sidney, BC, V8L 5C9
emaytowin@greenparty.ca
Michael Ignatieff, leader, Liberal Party
656 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON, M8Y 1K7
ignatm@parl.gc.ca
Bob Rae, liberal, Foreign Affairs Critic, (613) 992-5234, RaeB@parl.gc.ca
Francine Lalonde, Bloc Quebecois, Foreign Affairs Critic, (613) 995-6327, LalonF@parl.gc.ca
Paul Dewar, NDP, Foreign Affairs Critic, (613) 996-5322, DewarP@parl.gc.ca
Larry Bagnell, liberal, bagnell.l@parl.gc.ca
Stockwell Day, conservative, days@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-1702
Peter Julian & Henri Sader, NDP International Trade Critic, Rm 178, Confederation Bldg., Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6, julian.p@parl.gc.ca
John McKay, liberal, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, (613) 992-1447, MckayJ@parl.gc.ca, 613-947-4609
Kevin Sorenson, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Room 518, Justice Building, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6, (613) 947-4608, SorenK@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-2971
Dean Allison, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson, 4994 King Street, Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B0, allison.d@parl.gc.ca, 905-995-2772
Paul Dewar, NDP, Foreign Affairs Critic, 1306 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 3B2, dewarp@parl.gc.ca, 613-946-8682
Alexandre Leveque, DFAIT, Caribbean, Central America & Regional Policy,
125 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G2, 613-992-2971, alexandre.leveque@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
GLOBAL CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY COMMISSIONER
Marketa Evans, Marketa.Evans@international.gc.ca
CIDA
Barbara Curran, CIDA Director, 200 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, K1A 0G4, 819-994-4092, barbara.curran@acdi-cida.gc.ca; Kate Stefanuk (kate.stefanuk@acdi-cida.gc.ca) will serve as Acting Director (& responsible for Honduras); Johanne Dupont (johanne.dupont@acdi-cida.gc.ca), Country Program Manager for Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Cuba
CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
Ambassador Leeann McKechnie
leeann.mckechnie@international.gc.ca
Karin Reinecke, Assistant to the Ambassador
karin.reinecke@international.gc.ca
13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10, Edificio Edyma Plaza, Ciudad de Guatemala
(502) 2363-4348, 2365-1201, gtmla@international.gc.ca