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Rights Action
June 26, 2017
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Casillas, Guatemala: Anti-Tahoe Resources Community & Environmental Defense Struggle Continues
http://www.prensacomunitaria.org/casillas-la-lucha-anti-minera-continua/
(Espanol, abajo)
Photos and text by Yoly Girón.
Casillas Santa Rosa, 26 de junio 2017
Despite the violent attack and attempted eviction of local community members on June 22, 2017, by the National Police and anti-riot troops, to make way for Tahoe Resources’ “El Escobal” mining project, despite the excessive use of tear gases, the local community of Casillas continues to peacefully block the entrance mining vehicles and equipment to the mine.
The peaceful protest continues. Community meetings are taking place. Mining vehicles cannot enter the mining operation. And for now, the company has had to stop use dynamite to continue with its underground mining operation.
“Our only weapons are our faith – we are praying and repeating the holy rosary.”
It was on June 22, 2017, that a heavy contingent of police and anti-riot troops arrived and use violence and huge amounts of tear-gas to try and break up the peaceful protest. Children, that suffered respiratory problems due to the tear gas, are recovering.
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Casillas: La Lucha Anti Minera Continúa
http://www.prensacomunitaria.org/casillas-la-lucha-anti-minera-continua/
El intento de desalojo que realizó la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) para liberar el ingreso al Proyecto “El Escobal” de la Minera San Rafael fue frustrado, de nada sirvió el uso excesivo de gases lacrimógenos hecho por las fuerzas antimotines, la población de Casillas continúa evitando el ingreso de maquinaria a esta minera.
La movilización continúa, están realizando reuniones comunitarias, la gente permanece reunida y siguen evitando el ingreso de maquinaria hacia la mina, desde que la población interrumpió el movimiento de los camiones, se detuvieron los temblores provocados por las detonaciones de dinamita que la empresa estuvo realizando.
“Nuestras únicas armas son la fe, estamos rezando el santo rosario”
Los niños que fueron afectados por los gases lacrimógenos lanzados hacia las casas en el pueblo y en el Centro de Salud se van recuperando.
El jueves 22 de junio llegó hasta el pueblo un fuerte contingente de fuerza policial con el objetivo de liberar el ingreso de la minera, desde el mediodía las personas que permanecían manifestando de forma pacífica sobre la carretera decidieron evitar el accionar policial, pidiendo respeto para la gente, sin embargo la respuesta de la policía fue violenta.
Unas horas después, la PNC tuvo que retirarse de Casillas, quedando un contingente de antimotines al otro extremo de donde se encontraba el resto del grupo policial, para poder retirarse tuvieron que pedir permiso a la población.
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Take action and share this information
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More information
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Global divestments … but not in Canada and the U.S.
Multiple billion-dollar pension funds in Europe have already divested from Tahoe Resources given concerns about violence and human rights violations in relation to the project. In its 2014 Annual Report, the Council of Ethics for the Norwegian Pension Board recommended the exclusion of Tahoe Resources from their investments, stating the company ran an “unacceptable” risk of human rights violations at the Escobal mine and that acts of violence had resulted from the company’s presence in the region.
Tahoe is also excluded from the Dutch pension fund Pensionenfonds (PGB). In 2016, this fund cited “human rights abuses in Guatemala” as cause for the exclusion. The fifth edition of Dirty Profits by the German organization Facing Finance listed Tahoe Resources as one of fourteen companies considered a dangerous investment. The article highlights the lack of respect for communities, violence and militarization.
[Divestment information from NISGUA, www.nisgua.org]
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Why So Many Central Americans Flee North, Decade After Decade
The exploitation and poverty, violence and government repression, corruption and impunity of Honduras and Guatemala are “American” and “Canadian” issues. The U.S. and Canadian governments, the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, and North American companies and investors (including pension funds), and the U.S. military maintain profitable economic and military relations with the Guatemalan and Honduran regimes, turning a blind eye and/or directly contributing to environmental harms, exploitation, repression, corruption and impunity that are the norm in these countries, that force so many to flee.
Keep on sending copies of this information, and your own letters, to your politicians and media, to your pension and investment funds, asking: Why our governments, companies and investment firms benefit from and turn a blind eye to the poverty, repression and violence, and environmental and health harms in Guatemala and Honduras?
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Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To support community, human rights and environmental defense organizations in Honduras and Guatemala – like the La Casilla resistance -, working and struggling for justice and for fundamental transformation from the local to national to global levels, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
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