U.S. - El Salvador Sister Cities Network
URGENT ACTION, August 2008:
Make a Statement of Solidarity against Mining in El Salvador!
Dear Friends of Sister Cities,
The struggle against gold mining in El Salvador continues. Communities are faced by this internationally driven threat to their land, their water, and their lives. Though Pacific Rim has announced its decision to cut its El Salvador operations (the announcement being seen more as a tool for pressuring the government than a decision to abandon mining efforts in El Salvador) Intrepid Minerals, Ltd. and Tribune Uranium Corp, the two companies pursuing exploration in Chalatenango, have made no such decision.
If you would like more information about the status of the anti-mining campaign, please visit the website www.elsalvadorsolidarity.org.
Today, we urge you to write to the directors of Intrepid and Tribune expressing your personal awareness and concern regarding mining in El Salvador and the role their companies play. Send out these two letters below in full, or a shorter modified version to you own liking. Feel free to include more information pertinent to your committee or sister community. But please send something; every letter sent is added incentive to withdraw from El Salvador.
Lastly, after sending letters to Tribune and Intrepid send us an email letting us know that you did so (sistercities@gmail.com).
As always, we thank you for your commitment to accompany the communities in their struggle of mining resistance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Gordon, CEO and Executive Director
Intrepid Minerals, Ltd.
Suite 1710
155 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M5H 3B7
Canada
Dear Mr. Gordon,
I write to express my concern about Intrepid Minerals, Ltd.'s involvement in the Ojo Blanco and Petancol projects in the Department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.
[Here identify your own personal interest in contacting the company and your connection to El Salvador and/or Chalatenango. An example for the sister cities network: My own interest in contacting you is as a member of the U.S.-El Salvador Sister City Network. This organization represents groups from sixteen U.S. cities which have a fifteen year ongoing relationship with the residents of Salvador communities, including those within the Ojo Blanco and Petancol Claims areas. As a network, we remain in constant communication with several communities in the project area.] I am personally discouraged and disappointed by Intrepid Mines' persistence in pursuing mining exploration projects in El Salvador, despite rejection by the local residents.
I write now to remind Intrepid Mines that opposition to these proposed mining projects remains strong and unwavering on the local, national, and international level.
The residents of the communities within the Petancol and Ojo Blanco project areas are informed as to the likely environmental and social consequences of said projects. They believe that the exploitation that will follow exploration will destroy their reforested land, pollute their water supply, ruin their agriculture, and over time, make their communities uninhabitable. They are also extremely worried about the prospect of violence, which has occurred in parallel situations in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, when security forces were called in to enforce the mining companies' presence. Time and again they have declared that mining is not welcome in their homelands.
Recently, the Public Statement Against the Projects that Threaten Human Life and Our Environment, a statement signed by the duly elected Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango and the mayors of the municipalities of Las Vueltas, Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Jose Las Flores, Nombre de Jesús, San Isidro Labrador, San Antonio Los Ranchos, El Carrizal, and San Luís del Carmen was released. The statement was also signed by members of the Catholic Church and the non-governmental development organizations the Foundation for Cooperation and Community Development for El Salvador (CORDES) and Provida.
In this statement they declare once again their "rejection and total opposition" to mining projects. Affected communities have not been properly consulted in regard to the opening of mining projects on their lands. In their opinion, mining projects are incompatible with the development of the Northern Zone of El Salvador. They are prepared to continue in their strong resistance to what they consider an illegitimate incursion on their land by transnational corporations.
The Catholic Church stands in similar disaccord with the projects. Citing the grave environmental and health consequences of mining, water contamination, concerns for wildlife and agriculture, and the dense population in El Salvador, the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador declared: "For all of the above mentioned reasons, we affirm that to put in danger the lives of human beings, although some economic benefits can be gained, the mining exploitation of precious metals in El Salvador should not be permitted."
These positions are supported by public opinion, as reflected in a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Institute of the University of Central America. The English-language executive summary, titled Knowledge and perceptions of mining in areas affected by mining activities in El Salvador, concludes that "a large majority of the population residing in areas affected by mining projects oppose this activity. Furthermore, the population considers that mining would not contribute in a significant way to the economic development of their communities." Moreover, "62.5% expressed the opinion that El Salvador is not an appropriate country for mining" and "two-thirds of those polled (63.8%) responded that they "totally" or "partially" disagree with the opening of new mining projects."
As the results of the IUDOP poll indicate, Salvadorans are not persuaded by campaigns to promote "green mining" or to convince the population that El Salvador should follow in the foot-steps of other countries where mining is occurring.
I understand that Intrepid Mines, along with Tribune Uranium Corp, have already invested considerable time, energy, and funding in going forward with exploration activities in the Ojo Blanco and Petancol claims areas. I urge you to reconsider your activities in El Salvador. While I understand you already have the legal licenses to carry out exploration, your future ability to fully carryout exploration and exploitation remain in considerable doubt. In light of the strong opposition from communities, grassroots organizations, the Catholic Church, and many elected officials, it is highly unlikely the social licensee that local communities would need to provide in order to make your projects feasible in El Salvador will be forthcoming. Indeed, Pacific Rim has already decided to cut its El Salvador operations in neighboring Cabañas for these reasons.
Respectfully,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graham L. Harris, Chairman, C.E.O. & Director
Tribune Uranium Corp
Suite 2007
1177 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 2K3
Canada
Dear Mr. Harris,
I write to express my concern about Tribune Uranium Corp's involvement in the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol projects in the Department of Chalatenango, El Salvador.
[Here identify your own personal interest in contacting the company and your connection to El Salvador and/or Chalatenango. An example for the sister cities network: My own interest in contacting you is as a member of the U.S.-El Salvador Sister City Network. This organization represents groups from approximately twenty U.S. cities which have a fifteen year ongoing relationship with the residents of Salvadoran communities, including those within the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol claims areas. We remain in constant communication with several communities in the project areas.] I am personally discouraged and disappointed by Tribune's decision to go ahead with the acquisition of the claims areas and to continue to pursue exploration in the region, despite rejection by the local residents.
I write now to remind Tribune that opposition to these proposed mining projects remains strong and unwavering on the local, national, and international level.
The residents of the communities within the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol project areas are informed as to the likely environmental and social consequences of said projects. They believe that the exploitation that will follow exploration will destroy their reforested land, pollute their water supply, ruin their agriculture, and over time, make their communities uninhabitable. They are also extremely worried about the prospect of violence, which has occurred in parallel situations in neighboring Guatemala and Honduras, when security forces were called in to enforce the mining companies' presence. Time and again they have declared that mining is not welcome in their homelands.
Recently, the Public Statement Against the Projects that Threaten Human Life and Our Environment, a statement signed by the duly elected Association of Communities for the Development of Chalatenango and the mayors of the municipalities of Las Vueltas, Arcatao, Nueva Trinidad, San Jose Las Flores, Nombre de Jesús, San Isidro Labrador, San Antonio Los Ranchos, El Carrizal, and San Luís del Carmen was released. The statement was also signed by members of the Catholic Church and the non-governmental development organizations the Foundation for Cooperation and Community Development for El Salvador (CORDES) and Provida.
In this statement they declare once again their "rejection and total opposition" to mining projects. Affected communities have not been properly consulted in regard to the opening of mining projects on their lands. In their opinion, mining projects are incompatible with the development of the Northern Zone of El Salvador. They are prepared to continue in their strong resistance to what they consider an illegitimate incursion on their land by transnational corporations.
The Catholic Church stands in similar disaccord with the projects. Citing the grave environmental and health consequences of mining, water contamination, concerns for wildlife and agriculture, and the dense population in El Salvador, the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador declared: "For all of the above mentioned reasons, we affirm that to put in danger the lives of human beings, although some economic benefits can be gained, the mining exploitation of precious metals in El Salvador should not be permitted."
These positions are supported by public opinion, as reflected in a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Institute of the University of Central America. The English-language executive summary, titled Knowledge and perceptions of mining in areas affected by mining activities in El Salvador, concludes that "a large majority of the population residing in areas affected by mining projects oppose this activity. Furthermore, the population considers that mining would not contribute in a significant way to the economic development of their communities." Moreover, "62.5% expressed the opinion that El Salvador is not an appropriate country for mining" and "two-thirds of those polled (63.8%) responded that they "totally" or "partially" disagree with the opening of new mining projects."
As the results of the IUDOP poll indicate, Salvadorans are not persuaded by campaigns to promote "green mining" or to convince the population that El Salvador should follow in the foot-steps of other countries where mining is occurring.
I understand that Tribune Uranium Corp, along with Intrepid Mines, have already invested considerable time, energy, and funding in going forward with exploration activities in the Arcatao, Ojo Blanco, Santa Catarina, and Petancol claims areas. Once again, I urge you to reconsider your activities in El Salvador. While I understand you already have the legal licenses to carry out exploration, your future ability to fully carryout exploration and exploitation remain in considerable doubt. In light of the strong opposition from communities, grassroots organizations, the Catholic Church, and many elected officials, it is highly unlikely that Tribune will be able complete its stated mandate to "uphold the highest environmental and social standards and to work with local communities to ensure that these norms are to the benefit of both parties." The social license you claim to value will, I am sure, not be forthcoming. Indeed, Pacific Rim has already decided to cut its El Salvador operations in neighboring Cabañas for these reasons.
Respectfully,
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