Latin America and the Caribbean

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Document: Two individual shareholders have filed a resolution for consideration at the Goldcorp annual general meeting. The resolution asks the company to voluntarily comply with recommendations from international bodies including the International Labour Organization and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to suspend the Marlin mine in Guatemala. A halt to mine expansion at this mine site was also called for within the company's own Human Rights Assessment.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Joint news release with Common Frontiers: A year ago today a coalition of nine Canadian non-governmental groups filed a memo with the RCMP asking that Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration Ltd. and its Mexican subsidiary be investigated under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Joint communiqué - In a letter to Guatemalan authorities and Goldcorp Inc., the Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala (CAMIGUA) expresses its profound concern following reports of violence in the municipality of San Miguel Ixtahuacán. CAMIGUA believes that the recent incident underscores an urgent need for the Guatemalan government to fully implement precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) last spring, including temporary closure of Goldcorp's Marlin mine.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

News release: In defence of beleaguered Minister of International Cooperation, Bev Oda, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told Parliament that the Canadian International Development Agency should give money only to “the poorest and the most vulnerable.” This is NOT what CIDA is doing.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Presentation: When examined in practice, Canada's foreign policy for the mining sector has a lot more to do with protecting our economic interests rather than human rights or the environment — some reflections based on Canadian mining interests in Latin America. Written for the Trent University Community Movements Conference 2011.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Forty-nine international civil society organizations express concern over a series of detentions and robberies against members of an El Salvadoran environmental organization (CEICOM) that have taken place during the last six months. They also note a disturbing tendency of increasing violence against environmental defenders in Mexico and Central America, too often in association with Canadian mining projects.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Presentation to Queen's University, International Development Week: Weak governance, investment protection agreements and strong political supports for Canadian companies operating in regions like Latin America make voluntary guidelines to ensure human rights protection a step in the wrong direction.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Our allies in the Cabañas environmental movement as well as the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining (the Mesa) are very concerned about a recent wave of death threats and crimes against members of El Salvador’s anti-mining movement as well as other violent crimes recently committed in Cabañas.

Friday, January 21, 2011

This urgent action is being distributed by the Colombian Network Against Large-Scale Transnational Mining (Reclame Colombia), which brings together nearly fifty organizations in Colombia. The letter can also be signed on to at the RECLAME web site: http://www.reclamecolombia.org/

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Presentation: Canada is an important player in the global mining industry with important mineral holdings in Latin America. But the lack of an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework to hold our companies accountable for their operations abroad, means we are putting corporate rights over human rights. This presentation gives the example of Goldcorp's Marlin mine in Guatemala, with reference also to HudBay's Fénix nickel project.