Dec
Sister Cities
Mining Companies on the Counter Attack
By the communications team of the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining. 
After the way mining companies have been rejected by Salvadoran society, refused permits by the government and discredited by links to violence (Pacific Rim in Cabanas) and contamination with cyanide, heavy metals and acid drainage (Commerce Group in Santa Rosa de Lima), you would think that these companies would be retreating to lick their wounds. But no. Instead, Pacific Rim, Commerce Group and company have re-launched their offensive against El Salvador.
This new strategy includes suing members of the mining resistance movement, strengthening their case against the government of El Salvador in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and fighting against the law now in the Legislative Assemby that would definitively ban metallic mining in El Salvador.
As part of this plan of attack, Pacific Rim pushed for the prosecution of seven Cabañas environmentalists last week, accusing them of committing crimes such as aggravated robbery, damage to private property and kidnapping. According to the mining company, these offenses were committed during community protests against mining projects.
However, the judge of Sensuntepeque found no evidence of the crimes and fully acquitted the environmental advocates. But residents of Cabañas fear that the use of this legal tactic against mining opponents may continue.
Instead of humoring the frivolous lawsuits of Pacific Rim against environmentalists in Cabañas, the Attorney General and the police should investigate the companies’ possible links to violence like the death of Marcelo Rivera, Dora Sorto and Ramiro Rivera, the threats against the journalists of Radio Victoria, the attacks on priest Luis Quintanilla, and other abuses against mining opponents.
As another part of this counterattack, the Canadian mining company also seeks to stop the legislative Commission on Environment and Climate Change from considering the adoption of a law that prohibits mining presented by the National Rountable Against Metallic Mining. Thus, the company sent a request to meet with the Commission through congressional representative Vicente Menjivar. Despite nationwide condemnation of mining, this member of the right-wing ARENA party had no qualms about signing on to the request written by these shadowy companies.
The companies that seek to have their arguments heard by the Legislative Assembly are: Pacific Rim El Salvador (Dorado Exploraciones. y Cerro Colorado), Minerales Morazán, Brett Resources El Salvador, Kinross El Salvador, Martinique Minerals y Triada. The members of the Legislative Commission that will receive such companies are: Ciro Zepeda and Rubén Orellana, of the PCN; Vicente Menjívar, Rigoberto Soto and David Reyes, of ARENA; Lourdes Palacios, Arístides Valencia, Yohalmo Cabrera and Gilberto Rivera, of the FMLN; and Rodrigo Samayoa, Mario Tenorio and Juan Carlos Mendoza, of GANA.
