La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería en El Salvador Speaks Out in the U.S. and Canada
USESSC is very proud to be present in Washington, D.C., collaborating to host events in Philadelphia, and helping to facilitate a tour in Eastern Canada following the presentation of the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award to the La Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería en El Salvador (National Table on Mining in El Salvador), of which CRIPDES is a member.
The communities currently facing the threat of gold mining in El Salvador are clear: the “development” that mineral mines bring is not development for the communities themselves, nor is it wanted by those communities. Only 2% of mining profits remain in the country of El Salvador. It is widely recognized, from research at other mine sites, that the cyanide used to separate gold from ore escapes frequently into the environment, despite the highest standards of safety. Particularly in a country such as El Salvador, with its high population density and fragile access to water, mining poses a set of grave environmental and public health threats.
Highlighting the issue’s human rights aspects is extremely important. Community activists and journalists in Cabañas, El Salvador are currently receiving death threats for their stances in opposition to mining, a very clear and present human rights threat. Additionally, when communities present opposition to a mine and the company persists, most frequently using misinformation and “green washing” to achieve their project, this undermines the communities’ human right to self-determination and their efforts towards grassroots, sustainable, community development.
The goal of this speaking tour is to build awareness and support for the communities in Cabañas and Chalatenango, El Salvador, who have declared their opposition to mineral mining development in their communities based on environmental, public health, and human rights concerns.
Date |
Event |
Location |
Thursday, October 15th |
5:30 pm Presentation of the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award (coordinated by the Institute for Policy Studies) |
Washington, D.C. Details: www.ips-dc.org/about/letelier-moffitt |
Friday, October 16th |
Public event with the Salvadoran community of Maryland (co-coordinated by the SHARE Foundation and CISPES) |
Washington, D.C. |
Saturday, October 17th |
Events with the Romero Interfaith Center (U.S. – El Salvador Sister Cities) Parallel events in Western Canada (coordinated by CODESES-Vancouver) |
Philadelphia, PA Vancouver, British Colombia |
Sunday, October 18th |
Public event (coordinated by the SHARE Foundation) Parallel events in Western Canada (coordinated by CODESES-Vancouver) |
Baltimore, MD Vancouver, British Colombia |
Monday, October 19th – Monday, October 26th |
Events in Eastern Canada (coordinated by ally organizations including the Coalition on the Impacts of Transnationals in Latin America, SalvAide, and CAMES-Toronto) Parallel events in Western Canada and the Northwest U.S. (coordinated by CODESES-Vancouver and CISPES) |
Montreal, Quebec Ottawa, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Vancouver, British Colombia Seattle, WA Tacoma, WA Portland, OR |