CANADIAN NICKEL MINING COMPANIES OPERATING IN GUATEMALA: 50 YEARS OF FORCED EVICTIONS AND OTHER VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING ASSASSINATIONS AND GANG RAPES
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2141604355
BACKGROUND:
- 10-MINUTE FILM ABOUT SOME OF THE FORCED EVICTIONS: http://rightsaction.org/video/elestor/index.htm
- 5-MINUTE FILM - TESTIMONY OF ROSA ELBIRA, one of the gang rape survivors from Lote Ocho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSGuDk4cnz4
"UNFINISHED BUSINESS"
The CBC writes:
Two weeks ago there was an election in the small Central American country of Guatemala. It was dubbed the oligarchs vs. the narco traffickers. In the weeks leading up to the vote, armoured-car rentals went up by 70%; candidates were gunned down; more than 40 people were killed and no one was particularly surprised.
This is the background against which Canadian mining companies have been doing business for the past 50 years, right through the 36 year-long civil war, a war that killed two hundred thousand people, most of them indigenous Mayans.
For the most part, today's violence revolves around the drug cartels and the mines.
Now, the anti-mining forces are fighting back in a new way. Guatemalans are launching law suits in Canadian courts against Canadian mining companies. The latest is a multi million dollar claim against HudBay Minerals filed by [Klippensteins law firm, in Toronto, on behalf of] 11 Mayan women allegedly raped when they were cleared off the land 4 years ago. The law suits are a new tactic in an old war - a war over land: the government and the mining companies on one side, the Mayans and human rights workers on the other.
The radio report "Unfinished Business":
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2141604355
To help fund legal work on these two lawsuits, & for more information about the cases, contact:
- Klippensteins Barristers & Solicitors
- Murray Klippenstein, murray.klippenstein@klippensteins.ca
-
Cory Wanless, cory.wanless@klippensteins.ca
- Please re-publish and re-post this article, citing author and source
- Donate to support: victim and survivor, founded human rights organizations, and indigenous and campesino organizations.
- Create your own email and mail lists and re-distribute our information.
To fund the mining-harmed Mayan Qeqchi communities & their efforts to achieve justice, make tax-deductible 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
DONATIONS OF STOCK: info@rightsaction.org
An article "On the Problem of Femicide" about violence and repression against women and girls in Guatemala, and the daily and historic reality of impunity.
Another story about Canadian/ American gold miners, pension fund investments, drug cartels, predictable repression, health and environmental harms against local populations, and about impunity in Mexico and North America for the mining industry. This is how the unjust global economic, political order works
Canadian member of parliament, Peter Julian, announces Bill C-323, a law aimed at "allow[ing] non-citizens to sue Canadians and Canadian corporations for gross violations of basic human, environmental or labour rights when they are committed outside of Canada."
On October 31, 2011, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) did two reports on the Canadian mining industry in general, on HudBay Minerals and serious human rights violations in Guatemala, and on the new, non-binding Corporate Social Responsability Counsellor in Canada.
Article by CorporateKnights.ca "Going Deeper Underground"
Next Delegations
For More Information
If you want to know more about this topic,
Contact Us
or send an email to info@rightsaction.org
Add new comment