Public Statement Against Mining from Chalatenango, June 5 2008

PUBLIC STATEMENT AGAINST THE PROJECTS THAT THREATEN HUMAN LIFE AND OUR ENVIRONMENT

 

The Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango, CCR, and the below signed institutions, manifest our rejection and total opposition to the projects of mineral exploitation and all projects that put our lives and our natural resources in danger.

The projects of the transnational corporations only benefit the companies and in exchange contaminate the natural resources (the water, the soil, deforestation) of the communities.  These projects also undermine social organization and customs through deception. The communities and institutions committed to life, express our concern that in recent months the mining companies in alliance with the political parties of the right, ARENA, PCN, and PDC, have promoted a proposed law that seeks to legalize mining exploration and exploitation in El Salvador.

The above mentioned political parties have not consulted with the affected communities and have not taken into consideration the pronouncement of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador titled CUIDEMOS LA CASA DE TODOS (CARING FOR THE HOUSE OF ALL), where they clearly established their position which is that mining will “…endanger human lives, although there may be some economic gain, the mining of precious metals should not be allowed in El Salvador. No material advantage can be compared with the value of human life.” Another example are the results of the latest study conducted by the Public Opinion Institute of the University of Central America, where 62.8% of the population polled expressed opposition/rejection of mining exploration in El Salvador and 67.6% of the population had no interest in working in mining.

We are concerned at the irresponsible way the political parties of the right in alliance with the giant transnational corporations seek to make El Salvador a desert in the not too distant future, without caring about the lives of Salvadorans.

 

Conscious of all the harm that mining brings, we call on the different national and international institutions to contribute in good will, so that in a responsible and humane manner we can reflect that human life does not have a price, that we can live without gold but not without water.

We believe that these projects contradict “the project for the development of the northern zone”, implemented through the Millennium Challenge Funds and the government of ARENA. This project does not improve the living conditions of the poorest families in the northern zone.

 

Therefore, the organized communities declare:

That the organized communities in the CCR will continue our struggle of organized resistance for the defense of human life.
That it is urgent we open a national debate that includes all the institutions, communities, and individuals affected by the implementation of mining projects in El Salvador
That it is necessary to jointly develop, as universities, human rights organizations, environmental organizations, and communities, a study of the environmental impact of mining in El Salvador, which is honest and not tainted or altered by the political and economic interests of giant transnational corporations.
If the proposed mining law, which we oppose, is approved, we will resist the construction of the Northern Highway.

Finally, we want to ratify our historic commitment as communities to the struggle for social justice and for a dignified life in equality, where true democracy exists, and where all are heard.

This resolution is signed by the following organizations and institutions:

 

José Isabel Membreño

Secretary General of the CCR

 

Rosa Candida Alas

Mayor of  Las Vueltas

 

José Milton Monge

Mayor of Arcatao

 

José Raimundo Alas Mejia

Mayor of Nueva Trinidad

 

Félix Moisés Lara

Mayor of Las Flores

 

Guillermo Chávez Rodríguez

Mayor of Nombre de Jesús

 

José Antonio Serrano

Mayor of San Isidro

 

José Otilio Serrano

Mayor of San Antonio Los Ranchos

 

Tulio Casco

Mayor of El Carrizal

 

Sifredo Guerra

Mayor of San Luís del Carmen

 

Padre Miguel Vásquez

Pastor of the Vicar of St. Bartholomew

 

Boanerge Chinchilla

Director of Caritas in Chalatenango

 

José Felipe Tobar Arce

President of the Board of CORDES

 

Graciela Colunga

Director of PROVIDA