By: Gabriel Friedman
Mining executives often talk about the importance of having a ‘social licence’ to operate, yet it’s rare to hear them acknowledge when they don’t have one.
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).
Seven organizations, including MiningWatch Canada, sent a letter to the President & CEO and Director of Goldex Resources about recent claims of illegal mining in southern Guatemala, within the area granted for the El Pato project reportedly owned by the Canadian mining firm. Community members have reported threats against land and environmental defenders who have been denouncing these activities.
By Tádzio Coelho, professor in the Social Science department at Viçosa Federal University, Brazil, This article was originally published on Brasil de Fato.
This investigation was conducted for Avispa Midia, Aristegui Noticias, Pie de Página and CONNECTAS with the support of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), in the framework of the Investigative Journalism Initiative of the Americas.
By Santiago Navarro F. and Renata Bessi, translated by Samantha Demby
The Canadian-owned company Minera Cuzcatlán is the sixth-largest silver producer in Mexico. In 2018, a waste spill at one of the company’s mines impacted a stream in Oaxaca State.
First Majestic Silver, a Canadian mining company, owns three producing silver mines in Mexico: the San Dimas Silver Gold Mine, the Santa Elena Silver Gold Mine, and the La Encantada Silver Mine.
Communities have accused the Canadian mining company of damaging the environment and harming surrounding communities. They have reported diseases as a result of water contamination linked to the mine sites.