Tens of Thousands Oppose Tahoe Resources' Escobal Project in Guatemala

Please show your support for mining-affected communities in the area of Tahoe's Escobal project! Take action with this online petition directed at President, CEO and Director of Tahoe Resources, Kevin McArthur.

(Versión original en español abajo)

(Guatemala City/Ottawa) Contrary to Tahoe Resources’ recent claims, tens of thousands of people oppose its Escobal project in southeastern Guatemala. Repression and violence have been the outcome of company and government efforts to install the project without social support. A recent high-court decision in Guatemala reinforces the legitimacy and importance of local decision-making processes.   



More than half of the communities in the municipality of San Rafael las Flores, where the Escobal project is located, have declared opposition to mine. In five neighbouring municipalities, in the departments of Santa Rosa and Jalapa, a majority have voted against the mine in municipal referenda, in which tens of thousands of people participated. The most recent vote took place on November 10th in the municipality of Jalapa, department of Jalapa. Over 23,000 people participated with 98.3% voting against mining and 1.7% in favour.



“It is grossly misleading for Tahoe’s CEO Kevin McArthur to claim that the Escobal project enjoys strong community support when so many people have democratically expressed their opposition. The Constitutional Court has clearly stated that local plebiscites are an important measure of community sentiment near the mine site and they should be respected,” stated Jackie McVicar, Coordinator of the Maritimes Guatemala Breaking the Silence Solidarity Network.



In early December, the Guatemalan Constitutional Court decided in support of a municipal referendum in the municipality of Mataquescuintla, Jalapa and against a suit that an individual had brought to challege its constitutionality. The decision acknowledges the responsibility that municipal authorities have to convene such votes and to make decisions according to their results, affirming their value as “adequate means by which peoples may exercise their right to give their opinion and be consulted on topics of interest.”



Community members organizing local votes have faced repression and baseless legal actions in an attempt to quash their opposition to the project. During the past fourteen months, dozens of community members have had to endure more than 70 stressful legal processes, of which nearly all have been absolved of any charges.



The most recent crackdown against opposition to the Escobal project took place in late April mere weeks after the company received its exploitation license. Security guards fired on peaceful protestors outside of company property, injuring six, including two seriously. The company’s then head of security remains under arrest awaiting trial. Alberto Rotondo is charged with assault causing bodily harm and obstruction of justice.



Days after the attack, on May 2, 2013, the Guatemalan State declared a state of siege in four municipalities surrounding the mine project and issued multiple arrest warrants. Among the accused and imprisoned were key community leaders. In late November, a Guatemalan judge ruled that the police arrest and detention of five individuals for nearly seven months was illegal. Shortly later, arrest warrants were dropped against seven others accused in the same case.



“The President has accused of us being a few crazy people that are opposed to the mine, but we represent numerous departments, including the Xinca indigenous people, as well as people from all across Guatemala. I ask the company to please leave Guatemala because it is seriously hurting our families,” stated Teresa Muñoz a community leader from Jalapa during a press conference in early December.



Communities oppose the Escobal project given concerns over actual and potential impacts on water supplies and community wellbeing. The Ministry of Energy and Mines approved the company’s final license right after dismissing outright more than 250 individual complaints against the company’s project.



In July, a Guatemalan Appeals Court found that the Ministry of Energy and Mines did not follow due process in considering one of these oppositions. Lawyers for affected communities believe the appeals court decision puts Tahoe's license in limbo. Hearings on this case continued in November at which hundreds demonstrated their opposition to the project.



Tahoe is already under investigation for industrial contamination of water supplies near the Escobal mine.



“It is devastating to see the way that Tahoe is repeating the patterns of its top shareholder, Goldcorp, whose Marlin mine was built despite opposition and without community consent, leading to conflict and giving rise to broad-based opposition to mining throughout Guatemala. Instead of storming ahead and generating further upheaval, Tahoe should pack its bags and leave these communities in peace,” remarked Jen Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada.



Contacts:

• Jen Moore, MiningWatch Canada, (613) 569-3439, jen(at)miningwatch.com  
• Jackie McVicar, Breaking the Silence, 011 (502) 4824-0637, btsguatemala(at)gmail.com

SOURCE: http://www.miningwatch.ca/news/tens-thousands-oppose-tahoe-resource-s-escobal-project-guatemala

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Decenas de miles se oponen al proyecto de la minera Tahoe Resources en Guatemala

Jueves, Diciembre 19, 2013
(Guatemala City/Ottawa) Contrariamente a las afirmaciones de la empresa Tahoe Resources, decenas de miles de personas se oponen al proyecto Escobal, perteneciente a esta compañía, en el suroriente de Guatemala. Los intentos, tanto de la compañía como del gobierno, de instalar el proyecto sin apoyo social han resultado en represión y violencia. Una reciente decisión del alto tribunal en Guatemala reafirma la legitimidad e importancia de los procesos locales de toma de decisión.

Más de la mitad de las comunidades en el municipio de San Rafael las Flores, donde se ubica el proyecto Escobal, se han declarado en oposición a la mina. En cinco municipios aledaños en los departamentos de Santa Rosa y Jalapa, la mayoría de las decenas de miles de votos registrados en consultas comunitarias rechazan la mina. La votación más reciente se efectuó el 10 de noviembre en el municipio de Jalapa, departamento de Jalapa. Más de 23.000 personas votaron – el 98,3 por ciento votó en contra de la minería, mientras que el 1,7 por ciento votó a favor.

“Es altamente engañoso que el presidente de Tahoe Resources, Kevin McArthur, indique que el proyecto Escobal goza del apoyo de la comunidad, cuando tanta gente ha manifestado democráticamente su oposición. La Corte de Constitucionalidad ha indicado claramente que los plebiscitos son un importante indicador del sentir de las comunidades próximas a donde se ubica la mina y se deben respetar”, indicó Jackie McVicar, Coordinadora de la Red de Solidaridad Rompiendo el Silencio.

A principios de diciembre, la Corte de Constitucionalidad avaló la consulta comunitaria en el municipio de Mataquescuintla, Jalapa y negó la acción cuestionando la constitucionalidad de la consulta que había presentado una persona particular. La decisión reconoce la responsabilidad con que cuentan las autoridades municipales de convocar este tipo de votación y tomar decisiones de acuerdo a los resultados que éstas arrojen, y afirma su valor como “una adecuada forma de posibilitar el derecho de los pueblos a opinar y ser consultados sobre asuntos de su interés".

Pobladores que organizaron las consultas comunitarias se han enfrentado a represión y a acciones legales infundadas, en un intento de invalidar la oposición al proyecto. Durante los últimos catorce meses, decenas de comuneros se han visto involucrados en más de setenta tensos procesos legales, en los cuales la gran mayoría quedó absuelta de todo cargo.

La más reciente ofensiva hacia la oposición del proyecto Escobal ocurrió a fines de abril, unas pocas semanas luego de que se le otorgara a la empresa la licencia de explotación. Guardias de seguridad abrieron fuego en contra de un grupo que se manifestaba pacíficamente fuera de la propiedad de la empresa, dejando seis personas heridas, dos de ellas de gravedad. Quien fuera en ese momento jefe de seguridad permanece detenido a la espera del juicio. Alberto Rotondo ha sido ligado a proceso por lesiones leves y graves y por obstaculización de la investigación penal.

El 2 de mayo de 2013, pocos días después del ataque, el Estado de Guatemala declaró estado de sitio en cuatro municipios aledaños al proyecto minero y giró varias órdenes de captura. Entre los acusados y detenidos se encontraban dirigentes comunitarios clave. A fines de noviembre, un juez guatemalteco declaró que fue ilegal la captura de cinco personas y su privación de libertad durante casi siete meses. Poco después, las órdenes de captura que se habían girado para siete otras personas acusadas en el mismo caso quedaron sin efecto.

“No somos unos cuantos locos, como ha dicho el presidente, que se oponen a la mina, somos muchos departamentos; Xincas somos todos, es todo Guatemala... Pido a la mina San Rafael [la subsidiaria guatemalteca de Tahoe] de que por favor se retire de Guatemala, que nos está haciendo un gran daño a nuestras familias.” indicó Teresa Muñoz, dirigente comunitaria de Jalapa en rueda de prensa a principios de diciembre.

Las comunidades se oponen al proyecto Escobal debido a los impactos existentes y potenciales en las fuentes hídricas y en el bienestar de la comunidad. El Ministerio de Energía y Minas aprobó la licencia final de la empresa inmediatamente después de rechazar categóricamente los más de 250 recursos presentados en contra del proyecto de la empresa.

En julio, la Sala Primera de Apelaciones de Guatemala halló que el Ministerio de Energía y Minas no procedió correctamente en relación a uno de estos recursos. Los abogados de las comunidades afectadas estiman que la decisión de la Sala de Apelaciones pone la licencia de Tahoe en limbo. En noviembre continuaron las audiencias sobre este caso, durante las cuales se manifestaron cientos en oposición al proyecto.

En este momento, Tahoe es objeto de investigación por contaminación industrial de las fuentes hídricas próximas a la mina Escobal.

“Es devastador ver hasta qué punto Tahoe repite el patrón de comportamiento de su mayor inversionista, Goldcorp, cuya mina Marlin se construyó a pesar de la oposición y sin el consentimiento de las comunidades, llevando a conflictos y a una amplia oposición a la minería en todo Guatemala. En vez de avanzar a toda marcha y generar mayores disturbios, Tahoe debería empacar sus maletas y dejar a estas comunidades en paz”, indicó Jen Moore, Coordinadora del Programa de América Latina de Alerta Minera Canadá.

Contactos:

Jen Moore, Alerta Minera Canadá, (613) 569-3439, jen(@)miningwatch.ca
Jackie McVicar, Red de Solidaridad 'Rompiendo el Silencio', 011 (502) 4824-0637, btsguatemala(@)gmail.com
Por favor, mostrar su solidaridad con las comunidades afectadas por el proyecto Escobal de Tahoe y tomar acción con esta petición en línea acá (disponible solamente en inglés).

Fuente: http://www.miningwatch.ca/es/news/decenas-de-miles-se-oponen-al-proyecto-de-la-minera-tahoe-resources-en-guatemala

Genocide retrial set for January 2015; national courts debate possibility of amnesty

On November 5, almost six months since the highly contested decision by Guatemala's Constitutional Court (CC) to annul the genocide sentence, Guatemalan courts announced a date for the retrial of former General Ríos Montt. Guatemala's High Risks Court “B” affirmed that it has the jurisdiction to hear the case but said its calendar is full until January 5, 2015.

The announcement of the retrial date came the same day that the Association for Justice and Reconciliation and their legal team filed a complaint in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the Guatemalan state for continued impunity for grave human rights violations committed against the Ixil people. The complaint focuses on the May 10 annulment of the genocide conviction, arguing that survivors have been denied access to the right to justice in national courts.

Constitutional Court decision opens door for Ríos Montt to receive amnesty

On October 22, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of an appeal presented by Ríos Montt's defense, opening the door to amnesty for war crimes. The appeal, one of many filed by the defense lawyers on the issue of amnesty, argued that due process was not respected in a decision on wartime Decree 8-86. Decree 8-86, dating back to the de facto government of Oscar Humberto Mejía Víctores (1983-1986), mandated a blanket amnesty for all crimes committed between March 23, 1982 and January 14, 1986.  Both former military generals Mejía Víctores and Ríos Montt are currently accused of genocide and would benefit from the application of amnesty. 

Ríos Montt's lawyers argued that Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez Aguilar, who ruled against the possibility of amnesty, based his decision exclusively on Guatemala's 1996 National Reconciliation Law, and did not incorporate analysis of Decree 8-86. The National Reconciliation Law, created in 1996 with the signing of the Peace Accords, explicitly excludes genocide from the application of amnesty.  

Judge Gálvez Aguilar’s decision was immediately contested by the defense; however, an Appeals Court upheld the ruling, denying amnesty for war crimes. Now, the Constitutional Court has ordered the Appeals Court to elaborate in its explanation and provide foundation for its previous decision. While the Constitutional Court ruling alone does not grant amnesty, the decision sends an unequivocal message to lower courts encouraging them to reconsider previous rulings.

The 1996 Reconciliation law, in conjunction with the Inter-American Convention on Human Rights¹. and the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide², both ratified by the state of Guatemala, clearly invalidate the 1986 "auto-amnesty" decree, rendering the decision of the Constitutional Court, "a flagrant violation of international human rights law and the obligation to guarantee the right to truth, justice and reparations for the victims^3.."

At the time of publication, it is unclear when a decision on amnesty will be made as the lower court ordered to review the previous ruling on amnesty has been plagued by delays and recusals by Appeals Court judges. Anselmo Roldán, President of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, denounced these malicious delay tactics during his recent NISGUA speaker tour and called for and end to the partiality of the national justice system.

1    http://www.cidh.oas.org/basicos/english/Basic4.Amer.Conv.Ratif.htm
2    http://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspxsrc=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-1&chapter=4&  lang=en
3    FIDH, Anulación de la condena al General Ríos Montt: la FIDH solicita a la Corte de Constitucionalided de Guatemala reformar su decisión. Aug. 9 2013. www.fidh.org/anulacion-de-la-condena-al-general-Ríos-montt-la-fidh-solicita-a-la-corte-13809

NISGUA has provided human rights accompaniment to the witness organization, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, and their lawyers, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action, since 2000.

Original article published on November 25th, 2013 by ACOGUATE

Tahoe Resources on the defense as opposition to the Escobal mine gains ground

While community opposition to Tahoe Resources’ Escobal project grows and wins support from the Constitutional Court, the company remains on the defense trying to convince investors that it enjoys “strong local community support.” However, the record of local votes in neighboring communities and municipalities, betrays a different reality. 

More than half of the communities in the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores, where Tahoe’s Escobal mine is located, have declared opposition to the project. Likewise, thousands of people in the five municipalities closest to San Rafael, in the departments of Santa Rosa and Jalapa, have voted against the mine in municipal referenda. The most recent local vote took place on November 10^th in the municipality of Jalapa, department of Jalapa. A total of 23,152 people participated, with 98.29% voting against the mine and 1.71% in favor.

In early December, communities demanding the right to consultation throughout Guatemala celebrated an important victory when the Constitutional Court (CC) ruled in favor of such a referendum, determining that a vote carried out in Mataquescuintla, Jalapa in November, 2012 was legal. The decision provides support to votes carried out by municipal authorities and underlines the responsibility of the local government in promoting these processes.

In its decision, the Constitutional Court stated: "The popular referenda are important mechanisms to guarantee fundamental rights and are a clear expression of a democratic framework. The residents of the municipalities have the right to express themselves with regard to the use, enjoyment and benefits from the natural resources found within the territory of their municipality."

All five referenda in Santa Rosa and Jalapa held during the past two years regarding the Escobal mine were municipally convened votes.

Community member from Santa Rosa protests Escobal 
mine outside Constitutional Court (Photo: CPR Urbana)

For communities opposing the Escobal project, the CC decision validates the legality and legitimacy of their referenda. A leader from Mataquescuintla remarked on the importance of the decision saying, "It is one more point in favor of those of us who are against the mine. We have to decide how to move forward from here because the company is invading our territory."

Municipal governments, however, do not organize all referenda on large-scale development projects carried out in Guatemala. Some referenda are organized and overseen by indigenous authorities without the support of the local municipal government. While the CC ruling sets an important legal precedent in the struggle for the right to consultation, the granting of concessions is still ultimately the decision of the central government and the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

 Communities stand up against criminalization and persecution

During the last year, more than 70 legal processes have been issued against individuals peacefully resisting Tahoe's Escobal mine. Almost all of them have been absolved of charges, 12 in recent weeks. Only two cases are outstanding. 

On November 21, a Guatemalan judge ruled against further legal action in the case involving five individuals who were arrested and imprisoned more than six months ago for alleged crimes related to their opposition to Tahoe's Escobal mine. One week later, on November 28, arrest warrants were dropped against seven others also accused in the same case. 

The arrest warrants for all twelve people released in November were issued on May 2, 2013, the same day the Guatemalan government declared a state of siege in four municipalities surrounding Tahoe's Escobal mine. The imposition of martial law created terror among the population peacefully defending their right to consultation and ramped up the ongoing criminalization against human rights defenders.

Among the accused and imprisoned during the state of siege were key leaders in the organized community resistance to the Escobal project. Teresa Muñoz, an outspoken leader in defense of territory, was forced to flee into the mountains when the military came to her home.  

Muñoz, a community leader from Jalapa shared: "We are in peaceful resistance, fighting for life and nature, despite knowing what the risks are... the mine security, with support from the government, is almost always there, pointing guns at our heads while our hands are empty. We know that if we lose our life, we fought for something that was worth while." 

Meanwhile, the head of security for Tahoe’s mine at the time of these arrests, Alberto Rotondo, awaits trial for alleged involvement in a shooting on April 27 that injured six. Despite being arrested at Guatemala's international airport while attempting to leave the country, Rotondo was granted house arrest. The priviledge granted to the former Tahoe employee provides a stark contrast to community members who spent over six months in preventative prison only to have all charges against them dropped. 

Support community resistance to the Escobal mine by echoing their voices internationally: Take Action! Write Kevin McArthur, President of Tahoe Resources, to demand the company respect communities' right to self-determination and leave Guatemala!

NISGUA has accompanied communities in opposition to the Tahoe Resources Escobal mine since 2011.