Joyce Nelson, April 19, 2021

On February 7, 2021, the same day as the first round of Ecuador’s presidential election, the National Electoral Council (CNC in Spanish) held a popular vote on banning industrial mining in the watersheds of 5 rivers surrounding the city of Cuenca. Residents voted overwhelmingly (80%) in favour of water protection and against large-scale mining including the Loma Larga project of Canadian mining company, INV Metals.

Join us on May 5! The mining sector is working hard to take advantage of the climate crisis, painting mining as "green" because it supplies materials needed to support the "green" energy transition. But unless demand for both energy and materials are curtailed, environmental destruction and social conflicts will also continue to grow. How can a "Green New Deal" address this contradiction?

Since March 2nd, the Assembly El Algarrobo has been demonstrating against Yamana Gold’s large-scale copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum project in Andalgalá, Catamarca province, Argentina. The massive mobilizations have included peaceful strikes and selective road blockades leading to the mining camp in the Nevados del Aconquija, in order to interrupt the passage of trucks and suppliers to the Canadian mining company. The peaceful protests have been subjected to police raids and arbitrary arrests.

Dear Pan American Silver,

When you purchased the Escobal mine in 2019, you knew about the broad opposition to the project and that there had been violent repression against those involved in the fight. Now, your refusal to halt local programs in Xinka communities is fomenting tension and division. These activities violate the court-ordered suspension of the mine, undermine the possibility of a good-faith consultation with the Xinka, and put Xinka land defenders at risk.

On Sunday April 11th, 10-million-plus Ecuadorians will decide between two presidential candidates from distinct parties but with similar visions of extractivism. Both Andrés Arauz (Rafael Correa’s protégé) and Guillermo Lasso (a former banker) are openly pro-mining, and Canadian mining companies know it.

(Ottawa/Montreal, April 7, 2021) On March 25th, a tailings dam at the Aurizona mine overflowed in Godofredo Viana in the state of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil, contaminating surrounding rivers and leaving around 4000 residents without potable water. The mine is the property of Canadian mining company Equinox Gold and is one of the biggest gold mines in the country.

(Ottawa) Referring repeatedly to legal threats by Barrick Gold Corp., Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea (PNG) released a statement on April 5, announcing that his government will be making a deal with the company in regard to the Porgera Joint Venture gold mine.

On March 30th, 2021, MiningWatch Canada, along with 26 other Canadian organizations, sent a letter to Marc Garneau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, asking them to make a formal public statement condemning the violence against land defenders who have been peacefully resisting the Escobal mine in Guatemala, owned by Vancouver-based Pan American Silver (PAS).