June 19, 2009
“GOLDCORP 7 – 2009”
Goldcorp has again successfully urged the Guatemala government to file criminal charges against poor Maya Mam villagers near its “Marlin” mine in the municipality of San Miguel Ixtahuacan, department of San Marcos, Guatemala.
On June 15, we sent information about how poor Maya Mam campesinos, from the community of Sacmuj, in the village of Agel, were resisting Goldcorp’s forced entry onto their small plots of land: http://www.rightsaction.org/articles/goldcorp_guatemala_061509.html. Official Goldcorp position: “It is our land.”
Now, there are criminal charges against 7 Sacmuj community members; all Maya Mam, all poor. Their names: Vicente Yoc, Jesus Perez, Jacinto Hernandez, Florencio Yoc, Angel Jacobo Lopez, Maximiliano Hernandez and Gregoria Crisanta Perez. The last one – Gregoria Crisanta Perez – is one of the “Goldcorp 8 – 2008” – she has two sets of criminal charges against her.
Besides the criminal charges against the “Goldcorp 7 – 2009”, there is a capture order in effect for Gregoria Crisanta Perez.
“GOLDCORP 8 – 2008”
In mid-2008, we – and other groups – reported on how Goldcorp urged the Guatemala government to file criminal charges against poor 8 Maya Mam women (including Gregoria Crisanta Perez), who were resisting Goldcorp’s forced entry onto and harming of their properties, water sources and homes. See the YouTube documentary “8 Mayan Women”: ttp://www.rightsaction.org/articles/Eight_Women_112608.html
“GOLDCORP 7 – 2007”
In early-2007, we – and other groups – reported on how Goldcorp urged the Guatemala government to file criminal charges against poor 7 Maya Mam men, who ad gone to Goldcorp’s company offices at the mine site in San Miguel Ixtahuacan to negotiate a solution to the growing list of mining-caused harms, including: cracked houses, under-priced and forced land sales, dust contamination, drying of water sources, etc. While charges against 5 of the Goldcorp 7 – 2007 have been dropped, they are still open against 2.
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CRIMINALIZATION OF STRUGGLE OF INDIGENOUS & HUMAN RIGHTS
On numerous occasions, mine-affected community members have filed complaints related to mining-caused harms to court – to no avail. Meanwhile, in a country where 98% of all crimes go un-punished, Goldcorp knows it can count on Guatemala authorities to use the legal system as a mechanism of repression against people and communities that oppose its gold mining interests. Instead of addressing the underlying problems (health and environmental harms and human rights violations), people and communities are forced to fight trumped up and frivolous charges, while the company keeps on mining.
NO LEGAL REMEDY
Like so many struggles of this nature around the world, there is no legal remedy, in the short term, for the people and communities being harmed by Goldcorp’s mining operation. Goldcorp operates with impunity and no fear of legal challenge in Guatemala or Canada. (We will report soon on petitions that have been filed with the weak but important Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States)
MONEY & POLITICAL PRESSURE TALK
CALL ON YOUR INVESTORS & POLITICIANS
It is up to North American investors – large and small – and Canadian and Guatemala politicians to bring pressure on Goldcorp to suspend its mining operation in Guatemala and help create the political space necessary to create a dialogue and begin to resolve the long list of harms and violations.
WHAT TO DO
We urge people to contact their own politician (in Canada and the USA) to denounce this abusive corporate activity, and to contact their own investor and/or pension fund and ask if they are invested in Goldcorp. If so, inform your pension fund and/or investor of the growing list of harms and violations that Goldcorp is causing and contributing to, and ask your investor/ pension fund manager to contact Goldcorp directly with your concerns and/ or divest from the company.
BACKGROUND INFO
Go to www.rightsaction.org for extensive background info about Goldcorp caused and related harms and violations at its gold mines in Guatemala and Honduras.
MORE INFORMATION, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS: info@rightsaction.org
NAMES AND ADDRESSES BELOW
Send your messages to people, below … BUT … be sure to write first to your own politicians and investors and/or pension fund managers.
Chuck Jeannes, President & CEO, Goldcorp Inc.
666 Burrard Street, Suite 3400
Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2X8
Main: (604) 696-3000
Direct: 604-696-3076
Chuck.Jeannes@goldcorp.com
Kim Keras, executive assistant, Kim.Keras@goldcorp.com
Tim Miller, Goldcorp - Central America, Tim.Miller@montana.com.gt
Dina Aloi, Goldcorp, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Dina.Aloi@goldcorp.com
David Deisley, Goldcorp legal counsel, david.deisley@goldcorp.com
Jeff Wilhoit, Goldcorp investor relations, Jeff.Wilhoit@goldcorp.com
Jim Schenck, Goldcorp, Guatemala City, jamess@montana.com.gt
Lisa Wade, Goldcorp, Guatemala City, lisa.wade@montana.com.gt
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CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A1
info@gg.ca, t: (613) 993-8200, t: 800 465-6890
CANADIAN Minister of International Cooperation: Bev Oda, 509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6, Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
CANADIAN Minister of Foreign Affairs: Lawrence Cannon, 509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
CANADIAN Embassy in Guatemala: Ambassador Leeann McKechnie, leeann.mckechnie@international.gc.ca
Karin Reinecke, Assistant to the Ambassador, karin.reinecke@international.gc.ca, gtmla@international.gc.ca
Hon. Bob Rae, MP Toronto Centre and Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic, RaeB@parl.gc.ca
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CANADA PENSION PLAN Investment Board, 416-868-4075, Toll Free: 1-866-557-9510, csr@cppib.ca
Babak Abbaszadeh, Director, Stakeholder Relations, CPP Investment Board, 1 Queen Street East, Suite 2600, Toronto, ON M5C 2W5, Toll free: 1 (866) 557-9510, (416) 868-6612, babak@cppib.ca
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