Latin America Update: Active Civil Resistance in Cerro de San Pedro Against Minera San Xavier

Latin America Update: Active Civil Resistance in Cerro de San Pedro Against Minera San Xavier

13th April 2006

In Mexico, the Frente Amplio Opositor a Minera San Xavier (Broad Front Opposed to San Xavier Mines) began actions of active and passive civil resistance to force MSX, a subsidiary of Canadian company Metallica Resources, out of Cerro de San Pedro. The company responded by taking photos and videotaping demonstrators.

The Guatemalan Constitutional Court upheld the popular referendums carried out in Río Hondo, Zacapa, and Sipacapa (San Marcos) in which residents voted against the Canadian Glamis Gold Ltd. gold mine. The decision, based on International Labour Organization convention 169, was carried out by local organizations: "Sipacapa said NO to the mining and exploitation, and as a result, they must respect this" said Mario Tema, campesino leader from Sipacapa.

And in Brazil, police accused Cinta Larga of killing two prospectors mining diamonds on their reservation in the Amazon. The incident took place almost two years after the killing of 29 diamond prospectors in the same area.

And in the body of the article please replace "Consults" with Referendums ("Guatemalan Constitutional Court Upholds Environmental Consults")