Congressman blames local Mayan-Kekchi
populations for problems Skye Resources has with its mining project in
For the past few years, Rights Action – and other Guatemalan and North American organizations – have been reporting on a range of abuses associated with Skye Resources nickel mining plans in Guatemala, mostly particularly with a series of forced [and violent] evictions against Mayan Q’eqchi’ communities that lived on the lands since before nickel mining began with INCO company in the 1950s and 60s.
At http://www.rightsaction.org/video/elestor you can see a QuickTime 10-minute video clip of the January 2007 forced evictions of Mayan communities by Guatemalan soldiers and police and the Skye Resources company. See and read a photo essay about these same evictions: http://mimundo-jamesrodriguez.blogspot.com.
BELOW: we send an article expressing concern for the safety of these communities, after negative comments made by a Guatemalan Congressman.
WHAT DO TO: see below.
SPEAKING TOUR IN CANADA, March-April: “INVESTING IN CONFLICT: North American mining companies, trickle down "development," & environmental destruction”. For more information or to host event[s]: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org, 860-352-2448.
EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO GUATEMALA, April 26-May3: “IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA: What do the 1998 killing of Bishop Gerardi and the global mining industry have in common? IMPUNITY”. For more information: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org, 860-352-2448.
= = =
FEAR FOR SAFETY - GUATEMALAN CONGRESSMAN BLAMES LOCAL RESIDENTS FOR SKYE RESOURCES' FAILURE TO CARRY FORWARD NICKEL MINE
On January 30, 2008, Vancouver-based Skye Resources announced it would be delaying the construction of the planned nickel mine near El Estor, Izabal. Skye has failed to raise the money that it requires to ramp up construction, and president Ian Austin noted in a press release that the decision to delay the project was made "in light of the recent turmoil in the credit markets."
A day later, Byron Chacón,
congressperson of the Department of Izabal for the
GANA party, blamed the project's delay on the 150 families that last year
"invaded" lands allegedly belonging to Skye Resources. Chacón's comments were reprinted on January 31st in
national newspapers (see original article below) in
It has been established that there is an armed group active
in El Estor that openly supports the mining
activities that Skye Resources was promising to develop in the area. The group
claims that they operate as "Defenders of El Estor",
and sent a signed statement (with no individual names) to this effect that was
printed in the Prensa Libre
(the largest newspaper in
According to a member of the group, speaking on the condition of anonymity in December 2006, "we formed to defend our interests as businesspeople and citizens in El Estor. The police can't do anything because [the] Human Rights [Ombudsman] won't let them."
This group allegedly physically threatened people from Barrio Revolución, Barrio La Paz, La Pista and La Union after the police forcibly evicted the communities - for the third time - from the lands they had been occupying since September 2006.
All of the communities mentioned above have since been participating in a "good faith" negotiation process with Skye Resources' fully owned subsidiary CGN (Guatemala Nickel Company) in order to legalize their situation. As of mid-October 2007, agreements to transfer land title had been made between the company and two of the communities.
This is an urgent appeal for solidarity with the families living in regular and irregular situations in Lote 8, Barrio Revolucion, Barrio La Paz, La Pista and La Union, made out of fear for their safety given the irresponsible and dangerous comments made by Congressman Chacón.
= = =
PLEASE WRITE TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE to express your concern for the safety of the Mayan-Kekchi communities living in concessioned lands near El Estor:
Diputado Byron Chacón, bchacon@congreso.gob.gt
Ian Austin, President and CEO, Skye
Resources Suite
CANADA PENSION PLAN (as of March 31, 2007, the CPP owned 629,000 shares worth 4.17 million dollars. Source: stockwatch.com): Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, csr@cppib.ca, 416-868-4075, Toll Free: 1-866-557-9510.
Ms. Bev Oda,
Minister of International Cooperation, 509-S Centre Block, House of Commons,
Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 509-S Centre Block, House of Commons
Embassy of Canada in Guatemala, Attention Ms. Maryse Guilbeault, 13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10, Edificio Edyma Plaza, Ciudad de Guatemala, Tel. (502) 2363-4348, gtmla@international.gc.ca.
Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in Guatemala Attention to Anders Kompass 5a Av. 5-55, Zona 14 Edificio EUROPLAZA, Torre III, Nivel 14 Ciudad de Guatemala, Tel.: (502) 23823400, informacion@ohchr.org.gt.
= = =
SPANISH ARTICLE
http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20080131/economia/48098/
SKYE RESOURCES SIN CRÉDITO PARA INVERTIR EN
La turbulencia en los mercados internacionales de capital impidió a Skye hallar inversionistas dispuestos a financiar la explotación de níquel en El Estor, Izabal.
Por: Ricardo Quinto
La minera canadiense Skye Resources, casa matriz de la Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), anunció ayer que aplazará la búsqueda de financiamiento para desarrollar el proyecto Fénix, en El Estor, Izabal, hasta que mejoren las condiciones en el mercado internacional de capitales.
CGN ha sido víctima de las recientes turbulencias en las bolsas de valores globales debido a la crisis hipotecaria en EE.UU. y el temor de una recesión, los cuales han impedido encontrar inversionistas dispuestos a aportar capital para explotar la mina de níquel.
“A la luz de la reciente agitación en los mercados internacionales de crédito, hemos decidido que lo más prudente es cuidar los activos de nuestros accionistas”, declaró Ian Ausin, presidente y CEO de Skye Resources, a través de un comunicado en el que agrega que retomarán la búsqueda de financiamiento cuando se normalicen los mercados.
Ayer mismo circularon
rumores de que Skye estaría abandonando el proyecto debido a la falta de capital, y vendiéndoselo
a otra minera (se rumora que es
Mayaníquel, subsidiaria de
la multinacional BHP Billiton,
que posee una participación en Skye).
Regina de Cerezo, vocera de
CGN, señaló que cuando se tiene un proyecto catalogado
Según De Cerezo,
Skye Resources ha invertido a la fecha
cerca de US$100 millones en
el proyecto,
Carlos Meany, ministro
de Energía y Minas, indicó que ya recibieron
una notificación por parte Skye, donde le informan de una desaceleración
Culpa a invasores
El diputado por el departamento de Izabal, Byron Chacón, apuntó que a finales de diciembre pasado, cerca de 150 familias invadieron los terrenos de la minera y no han podido ser desalojadas, lo que ha provocado malestar en CGN.
“Es una lástima
que se frenen los trabajos, porque
la empresa le ha dado mucho al departamento”,
agregó Chacón. De Cerezo desestimó que esta sea la causa
Hugo Maúl, director
= = =
SPEAKING TOUR IN CANADA, March-April: “INVESTING IN CONFLICT: North American mining companies, trickle down "development," & environmental destruction”. For more information or to host event[s]: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org, 860-352-2448.
EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO GUATEMALA, April 26-May3: “IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA: What do the 1998 killing of Bishop Gerardi and the global mining industry have in common? IMPUNITY”. For more information: Grahame Russell, info@rightsaction.org, 860-352-2448.