Democracy Now! will have a segment on Honduras on Tuesday morning with Dr. Luther Castillo who is part of the Frente contra el golpe, and myself who will report from inside the Brazillian embassy, where I have been since Monday, Sep. 21.
Please tune in ... and spread the word...www.democracynow.org.
Also, for Spanish speakers/readers... we have an entire page dedicated to the crisis in Honduras:
http://i1.democracynow.org/es/paginas/golpe_honduras
Amy Goodman's last column deals with Honduras:
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2009/9/23/president_zelaya_and_the_audacity_of_action
If you know of press who want commentary from inside the embassy, please point them in my direction.
I have been swamped with dozens of interviews, and it's not always easy to get through, but keep trying.
Have been meaning to blog from inside the embassy, and hope to send out that info tomorrow.
BLOG ENTRY: A few hours ago, the CNN in English crew was really upset.. It took them 4 days to get the ok for an interview from the Micheletti regime, and then they arrive unannounced to the gates of the embassy. Mel could not speak with them at that hour of the evening, and they went away miffed. If they come back tomorrow, Mel will give the interview... but they said they would not come back. I wonder if they would expect President Obama to give them an interview if they arrived unannounced to the steps of the White House.
gracias,
andrés
Andrés Thomas Conteris
Democracy Now! en español
andres@democracynow.org
www.democracynow.org/es
Nonviolence International
Program on the Americas
andres@desmilitarizacion.net
Tel. 212-431-9090 ext 827
Cel in the U.S. 202-232-1999
Cel in Honduras 011-504-9777-8514
SKYPE: aconteris
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Pacific Rim is seeking in excess of the US$77 million
By Fernando Cabrera Diaz
2 September 2009
El Salvador’s ruling FMLN party is considering a ban on precious metal mining in response to public opposition to perceived environmental degradation. The government of El Salvador has not issued mining permits for two years, and as a result is now facing two arbitration claims before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
In August ICSID registered a claim by Commerce Group Corp., a company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its affiliate San Sebastian Gold Mines. The Claimants contend that El Salvador revoked its mining permits without justification, and in violation of the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
A similar claim by the Vancouver-based Pacific Rim was registered by ICSID in June. Pacific Rim claims that Ecuador violated CAFTA-DR by refusing to grant exploitation concessions and environmental permits after it had met the necessary requirements.
Pacific Rim is seeking in excess of the US$77 million it claims to have invested in El Salvador since 2002, mostly in its El Dorado Gold Mine project located in the north-central department of Cabañas. In a press release, the company charges: “Despite strong local support and the inclusion of carefully engineered and reliable environmental protections for the proposed El Dorado Mine, the Government has not met its responsibility to issue the Enterprises the permits necessary to advance the project to the final step of full production.”
(click for the rest of the story)
2 September 2009
El Salvador’s ruling FMLN party is considering a ban on precious metal mining in response to public opposition to perceived environmental degradation. The government of El Salvador has not issued mining permits for two years, and as a result is now facing two arbitration claims before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
In August ICSID registered a claim by Commerce Group Corp., a company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its affiliate San Sebastian Gold Mines. The Claimants contend that El Salvador revoked its mining permits without justification, and in violation of the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).
A similar claim by the Vancouver-based Pacific Rim was registered by ICSID in June. Pacific Rim claims that Ecuador violated CAFTA-DR by refusing to grant exploitation concessions and environmental permits after it had met the necessary requirements.
Pacific Rim is seeking in excess of the US$77 million it claims to have invested in El Salvador since 2002, mostly in its El Dorado Gold Mine project located in the north-central department of Cabañas. In a press release, the company charges: “Despite strong local support and the inclusion of carefully engineered and reliable environmental protections for the proposed El Dorado Mine, the Government has not met its responsibility to issue the Enterprises the permits necessary to advance the project to the final step of full production.”
(click for the rest of the story)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
URGENT ACTION: PROTESTERS ATTACKED
URGENT ACTION: PROTESTERS ATTACKED
UPDATE: The protestors camped out in front of the Brazilian Embassy were violently attacked and removed from the Embassy with live rounds of ammunition and tear gas. There are at least 4 people wounded. President Zelaya was in the middle of an interview with Radio Globo early this morning from inside the Brazilian Embassy, struggling to talk through the tear gas, when the Radio Globo signal was once again cut.
The curfew started yesterday at 4pm has been extended until 6pm today.
Call to Action from the Quixote Center Delegation, 21 September 2009
U.S. citizens should contact the U.S. State Department and their Congressional Representatives to demand that the U.S. government:
pressure the de facto government of Honduras to refrain from using violence against nonviolent protestors
pressure the de facto regime to cease its repression of the freedom of expression and information in Honduras
unequivocally support the return to power of elected President Manuel Zelaya
President Manuel Zelaya returned today to Honduras, where he is camping out in the Brazilian embassy along with members of his cabinet. As thousands of people gathered in front of the embassy to welcome Zelaya back, the president of the coup government, Roberto Micheletti, threatened to cancel the embassy’s immunity if Zelaya were not handed over to the de facto government.
The power at the Brazilian embassy as well as at anti-coup media stations was cut, and the de facto government instated a curfew from 4pm this afternoon to 7am tomorrow. Nevertheless, people have remained in the streets around the Brazilian embassy, planning to stay throughout the night to demonstrate support for Manuel Zelaya’s return to power, and to protect him. Police and military units are on the streets to enforce the curfew, which has been extended to 6pm tomorrow.
The situation is extremely tense. People who remain in the streets during the night expect repression from police and military forces, which have blocked the entrance of people coming into Tegucigalpa from other parts of the country. National Resistance Front Against the Coup has sent out a call for a national strike tomorrow, and for people to come from all parts of the country to the capital to continue the show of popular support for the return of the democratically elected president.
The Honduran police and military have committed grave human rights violations under this coup regime, often during instated curfews. Again, we are asking U.S. Citizens to contact the State Department and Congressional Representatives to demand that the Honduran coup government refrain from further violations over the coming days.
UPDATE: The protestors camped out in front of the Brazilian Embassy were violently attacked and removed from the Embassy with live rounds of ammunition and tear gas. There are at least 4 people wounded. President Zelaya was in the middle of an interview with Radio Globo early this morning from inside the Brazilian Embassy, struggling to talk through the tear gas, when the Radio Globo signal was once again cut.
The curfew started yesterday at 4pm has been extended until 6pm today.
Call to Action from the Quixote Center Delegation, 21 September 2009
U.S. citizens should contact the U.S. State Department and their Congressional Representatives to demand that the U.S. government:
pressure the de facto government of Honduras to refrain from using violence against nonviolent protestors
pressure the de facto regime to cease its repression of the freedom of expression and information in Honduras
unequivocally support the return to power of elected President Manuel Zelaya
President Manuel Zelaya returned today to Honduras, where he is camping out in the Brazilian embassy along with members of his cabinet. As thousands of people gathered in front of the embassy to welcome Zelaya back, the president of the coup government, Roberto Micheletti, threatened to cancel the embassy’s immunity if Zelaya were not handed over to the de facto government.
The power at the Brazilian embassy as well as at anti-coup media stations was cut, and the de facto government instated a curfew from 4pm this afternoon to 7am tomorrow. Nevertheless, people have remained in the streets around the Brazilian embassy, planning to stay throughout the night to demonstrate support for Manuel Zelaya’s return to power, and to protect him. Police and military units are on the streets to enforce the curfew, which has been extended to 6pm tomorrow.
The situation is extremely tense. People who remain in the streets during the night expect repression from police and military forces, which have blocked the entrance of people coming into Tegucigalpa from other parts of the country. National Resistance Front Against the Coup has sent out a call for a national strike tomorrow, and for people to come from all parts of the country to the capital to continue the show of popular support for the return of the democratically elected president.
The Honduran police and military have committed grave human rights violations under this coup regime, often during instated curfews. Again, we are asking U.S. Citizens to contact the State Department and Congressional Representatives to demand that the Honduran coup government refrain from further violations over the coming days.
Extremely Urgent: Support Zelaya and Honduras Now!!!
Democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras has returned to Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capitol, some 85 days after being thrown out of the country in a military coup.
It is not clear whether Zelaya had the permission of the Honduran military to return to Honduras, but early indications are that perhaps he did not. If this is the case, his life may be in danger, and the situation in Honduras could be very volatile, and could turn very violent at any time.
It is extremely important that Zelaya receive as much support as possible at this critical time. This is important not just for his life and the future of Honduras, but for the future of democracy throughout Latin America.
Please call First District Representative Chellie Pingree, Second District Representative Mike Michaud, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama and urge them to issue strong statements of support for Honduran President Zelaya as soon as possible. You will find the appropriate phone numbers below.
Thank you very much for your support of democracy and human rights in Honduras and throughout Latin America! Please distribute this message far and wide!
Lawrence Reichard
Bangor, Maine
lreichard@gmail.com
Chellie Pingree
Pingree: 202-225-6116
Mike Michaud
Michaud: 202-225-6306
942-6935
Hillary Clinton
(State Department Switchboard)
202-647-4000
White House Comment Line
(202) 456-1111
It is not clear whether Zelaya had the permission of the Honduran military to return to Honduras, but early indications are that perhaps he did not. If this is the case, his life may be in danger, and the situation in Honduras could be very volatile, and could turn very violent at any time.
It is extremely important that Zelaya receive as much support as possible at this critical time. This is important not just for his life and the future of Honduras, but for the future of democracy throughout Latin America.
Please call First District Representative Chellie Pingree, Second District Representative Mike Michaud, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama and urge them to issue strong statements of support for Honduran President Zelaya as soon as possible. You will find the appropriate phone numbers below.
Thank you very much for your support of democracy and human rights in Honduras and throughout Latin America! Please distribute this message far and wide!
Lawrence Reichard
Bangor, Maine
lreichard@gmail.com
Chellie Pingree
Pingree: 202-225-6116
Mike Michaud
Michaud: 202-225-6306
942-6935
Hillary Clinton
(State Department Switchboard)
202-647-4000
White House Comment Line
(202) 456-1111
Sunday, September 20, 2009
September 15 - Central American Independence Day; Neocolonialism Meets Resistance in Hondura
Friday 18 September 2009
by: Tom Loudon, t r u t h o u t | News Analysis
On the 80th day of the coup, both the de facto government and the resistance movement against the coup held marches to celebrate the anniversary of Central America's independence from Spain. At a military parade, de facto President Roberto Micheletti defiantly insisted that it would take a military intervention to remove him. Meanwhile, thousands of coup resisters, with elected President Manuel Zelaya's wife at the head, marched through the central park of Tegucigalpa, where last month police and military attacked peaceful protesters and passers-by. The massive resistance movement in Honduras continues to grow, denouncing the violent coup as an illegal takeover on the part of neocolonial economic and military interests.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Pacific Rim Responds to report about Marcelo Rivera's murder
(received from US.-E.S. Sister Cities)
Pacific Rim response to report “Gold, impunity, violence in El Salvador”
20 August 2009
On 13 August 2009, Real News Network posted a video report that raised concerns about violence against anti-mining activists and pollution from gold mining in El Salvador, specifically referring to Pacific Rim Mining. The report is available at http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=411.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Pacific Rim to respond; the company sent the following response:
“Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Pacific Rim is saddened and outraged by the horrible death of Marcelo Rivera.
The community of San Isidro has lost a leader and a teacher. We have always respected the rights of Marcelo and all others to participate in the mining debate, which he did in a non-violent manner, and ask others to follow his lead.
Let us be very clear, the company has no knowledge of the crime, other than information published in the local media. We know of no connection of the murder to anti-mining activities in this crime but welcome any and all investigations. By law, Salvadoran police reports are closed for six months.
We encourage anyone having knowledge of the crime to step forward. Like everyone in the community, we rely upon and welcome the institutions of El Salvador to investigate and solve this crime and bring those responsible for Marcelo’s unnecessary death to justice. The police have four suspects in custody.
We are appalled that certain people, groups and media outlets have irresponsibly accused Pacific Rim of involvement in this terrible crime.
Unfortunately, as a result of these unfounded accusations against the company, tensions have mounted and violent threats have been made against our Salvadoran employees, a respected member of society who serves on our Advisory Board, our attorney in Washington D.C. and management of the company in the United States. These accusations against the Company are a calculated attempt to taint Pacific Rim and disrupt the resolution of our CAFTA dispute.
We are encouraged by statements from government officials of El Salvador that they will resolve our investment dispute and we depend upon the legal processes in place for settling the dispute. We rely on the government of El Salvador to insure the rule of law is observed by all parties, including the protection of opposition activists, as well as our employees and property.
There is no place in the mining debate for threats upon people’s lives and safety. We reach out to all involved in the debate to return to discussing the issue calmly, using science and logic, and to keep emotions in check. We ask all parties involved in the mining debate to refrain from violence, threats of violence and attempts to incite violence. We always encourage an open and healthy debate founded upon honest scientific fact and economic and social reality. We remain committed to achieving a peaceful resolution that will benefit the people of Cabañas and all Salvadorans.
CORRECTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS
As to the video you provide in your email, linked as follows, http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4118&updaterx=2009-08-13+02:14:31, we offer the following comments and corrections to information and misinformation as reported in the video.
Pacific Rim has held, and continues to hold numerous public consultations.
These consultations were key to the environmental design of the proposed mine and are fully documented in our Environmental Impact Study, that according to the Salvadoran environmental agency, MARN, was the most thorough they had ever seen at the time we submitted it.
The comparison of our mine design to the Honduran operations is incorrect.
The video shows an open pit mine, a surface mine. Our proposed El Dorado mine design is an underground mine with minimal surface disturbance. The video shows clips of people with skin disorders in the vicinity of one of the Honduran operations which opposition groups continually report to be related to the mine itself. The skin rashes were independently investigated by health institutions. A copy of their report is attached.
The statement that we received "very friendly treatment" from the administration of former President Tony Saca is incorrect and illogical. If we received such treatment, why then were we forced to file an investment dispute through international arbitration during the former President's term? Our claim is based upon our illegal treatment by the government of El Salvador under the leadership of former President Saca with respect to Salvadoran law and international treaty. This hardly qualifies as "friendly treatment".
There is no basis to the statement that Ana Vilma de Escobar, the former Vice President during the Saca administration, and/or her family, are significant shareholders of Pacific Rim. We have no knowledge that they own any shares in the Company. Why would she or her family make such an investment when the administration was failing to approve our permit application?
Pacific Rim supported the attempted Salvadoran congressional changes to the mining law, which would have strengthened the laws for environmental protection and increased the royalty. This law was debated in special committee and effectively died in committee through the actions of former President Saca.
With regard to the alleged lack of democratic process, mayoral elections and congressional elections were held earlier this year.
Democracy was convincingly demonstrated in these elections in Cabañas.
Mining was a major issue in the Cabañas elections and the people overwhelmingly voted for candidates that favored the proposed project and rejected those candidates who were opposed. Pacific Rim has never contributed to any campaign of any electoral candidate from any party anywhere in El Salvador or anywhere else. The majority of the people of El Salvador and especially the people of Cabañas support the project and mining in general.
The statements regarding contamination from heavy metals such as "arsenic and lead" have no basis in scientific fact. The most common rock type exposed on the surface of El Salvador has three times more arsenic and about the same levels of lead as the veins that contain the gold. There is no potential for acid mine drainage in this type of gold deposit, geologically known as low-sulfidation epithermal. This is the only type of deposit for which we explore for exactly that reason. One of our main company goals is to raise the bar for environmental protection. Further, the waters draining from the historical workings are alkaline, not acidic. We refer you to our web page (in Spanish) which provides technical, scientific and economic information about our project: http://www.pacificrim.com.sv .
Protecting and improving local water supplies is a major objective in our proposed mine design. This mine would be the single most progressive mine ever built in the Americas when considering environmental protections. In our numerous community consultations, it was obvious water was the issue of greatest concern to the people of the area who survive largely on subsistence farming and remittances from family members in the US. While there is a lack of potable water and infrastructure for collecting water in El Salvador, there is no lack of water. El Salvador is sub-tropical and receives abundant rainfall during the rainy season. Our mine design includes the construction of a reservoir for water collection during the rainy season for storage and use during the dry season. There are no production wells in the design and the operation will actually improve the flow and availability of water during the dry season when it is most needed.
Surface waters on site have been contaminated with bacteria, detergents, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers as a result of heavy surface water use by local inhabitants and the lack of adequate water treatment facilities. Our mine design includes a water treatment plant.
Any waters flowing out of the proposed mine will be cleaner than the waters flowing into the collection reservoir.
It is true that our exploration drilling temporarily disrupted the flow of a local spring. Our technical staff determined the cause and provided a temporary water supply until the problem was corrected. Today, the spring continues to flow as it has for over a hundred years.
Finally, Oscar Menjivar does not, and has never worked in any capacity for Pacific Rim.
Respectfully,
Tom Shrake
President & CEO
Pacific Rim Mining Corp.
Reno, NV USA”
Pacific Rim response to report “Gold, impunity, violence in El Salvador”
20 August 2009
On 13 August 2009, Real News Network posted a video report that raised concerns about violence against anti-mining activists and pollution from gold mining in El Salvador, specifically referring to Pacific Rim Mining. The report is available at http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=411.
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Pacific Rim to respond; the company sent the following response:
“Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Pacific Rim is saddened and outraged by the horrible death of Marcelo Rivera.
The community of San Isidro has lost a leader and a teacher. We have always respected the rights of Marcelo and all others to participate in the mining debate, which he did in a non-violent manner, and ask others to follow his lead.
Let us be very clear, the company has no knowledge of the crime, other than information published in the local media. We know of no connection of the murder to anti-mining activities in this crime but welcome any and all investigations. By law, Salvadoran police reports are closed for six months.
We encourage anyone having knowledge of the crime to step forward. Like everyone in the community, we rely upon and welcome the institutions of El Salvador to investigate and solve this crime and bring those responsible for Marcelo’s unnecessary death to justice. The police have four suspects in custody.
We are appalled that certain people, groups and media outlets have irresponsibly accused Pacific Rim of involvement in this terrible crime.
Unfortunately, as a result of these unfounded accusations against the company, tensions have mounted and violent threats have been made against our Salvadoran employees, a respected member of society who serves on our Advisory Board, our attorney in Washington D.C. and management of the company in the United States. These accusations against the Company are a calculated attempt to taint Pacific Rim and disrupt the resolution of our CAFTA dispute.
We are encouraged by statements from government officials of El Salvador that they will resolve our investment dispute and we depend upon the legal processes in place for settling the dispute. We rely on the government of El Salvador to insure the rule of law is observed by all parties, including the protection of opposition activists, as well as our employees and property.
There is no place in the mining debate for threats upon people’s lives and safety. We reach out to all involved in the debate to return to discussing the issue calmly, using science and logic, and to keep emotions in check. We ask all parties involved in the mining debate to refrain from violence, threats of violence and attempts to incite violence. We always encourage an open and healthy debate founded upon honest scientific fact and economic and social reality. We remain committed to achieving a peaceful resolution that will benefit the people of Cabañas and all Salvadorans.
CORRECTIONS AND/OR COMMENTS
As to the video you provide in your email, linked as follows, http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=4118&updaterx=2009-08-13+02:14:31, we offer the following comments and corrections to information and misinformation as reported in the video.
Pacific Rim has held, and continues to hold numerous public consultations.
These consultations were key to the environmental design of the proposed mine and are fully documented in our Environmental Impact Study, that according to the Salvadoran environmental agency, MARN, was the most thorough they had ever seen at the time we submitted it.
The comparison of our mine design to the Honduran operations is incorrect.
The video shows an open pit mine, a surface mine. Our proposed El Dorado mine design is an underground mine with minimal surface disturbance. The video shows clips of people with skin disorders in the vicinity of one of the Honduran operations which opposition groups continually report to be related to the mine itself. The skin rashes were independently investigated by health institutions. A copy of their report is attached.
The statement that we received "very friendly treatment" from the administration of former President Tony Saca is incorrect and illogical. If we received such treatment, why then were we forced to file an investment dispute through international arbitration during the former President's term? Our claim is based upon our illegal treatment by the government of El Salvador under the leadership of former President Saca with respect to Salvadoran law and international treaty. This hardly qualifies as "friendly treatment".
There is no basis to the statement that Ana Vilma de Escobar, the former Vice President during the Saca administration, and/or her family, are significant shareholders of Pacific Rim. We have no knowledge that they own any shares in the Company. Why would she or her family make such an investment when the administration was failing to approve our permit application?
Pacific Rim supported the attempted Salvadoran congressional changes to the mining law, which would have strengthened the laws for environmental protection and increased the royalty. This law was debated in special committee and effectively died in committee through the actions of former President Saca.
With regard to the alleged lack of democratic process, mayoral elections and congressional elections were held earlier this year.
Democracy was convincingly demonstrated in these elections in Cabañas.
Mining was a major issue in the Cabañas elections and the people overwhelmingly voted for candidates that favored the proposed project and rejected those candidates who were opposed. Pacific Rim has never contributed to any campaign of any electoral candidate from any party anywhere in El Salvador or anywhere else. The majority of the people of El Salvador and especially the people of Cabañas support the project and mining in general.
The statements regarding contamination from heavy metals such as "arsenic and lead" have no basis in scientific fact. The most common rock type exposed on the surface of El Salvador has three times more arsenic and about the same levels of lead as the veins that contain the gold. There is no potential for acid mine drainage in this type of gold deposit, geologically known as low-sulfidation epithermal. This is the only type of deposit for which we explore for exactly that reason. One of our main company goals is to raise the bar for environmental protection. Further, the waters draining from the historical workings are alkaline, not acidic. We refer you to our web page (in Spanish) which provides technical, scientific and economic information about our project: http://www.pacificrim.com.sv .
Protecting and improving local water supplies is a major objective in our proposed mine design. This mine would be the single most progressive mine ever built in the Americas when considering environmental protections. In our numerous community consultations, it was obvious water was the issue of greatest concern to the people of the area who survive largely on subsistence farming and remittances from family members in the US. While there is a lack of potable water and infrastructure for collecting water in El Salvador, there is no lack of water. El Salvador is sub-tropical and receives abundant rainfall during the rainy season. Our mine design includes the construction of a reservoir for water collection during the rainy season for storage and use during the dry season. There are no production wells in the design and the operation will actually improve the flow and availability of water during the dry season when it is most needed.
Surface waters on site have been contaminated with bacteria, detergents, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers as a result of heavy surface water use by local inhabitants and the lack of adequate water treatment facilities. Our mine design includes a water treatment plant.
Any waters flowing out of the proposed mine will be cleaner than the waters flowing into the collection reservoir.
It is true that our exploration drilling temporarily disrupted the flow of a local spring. Our technical staff determined the cause and provided a temporary water supply until the problem was corrected. Today, the spring continues to flow as it has for over a hundred years.
Finally, Oscar Menjivar does not, and has never worked in any capacity for Pacific Rim.
Respectfully,
Tom Shrake
President & CEO
Pacific Rim Mining Corp.
Reno, NV USA”
Anti-Mining Protest in front of the Pacific Rim Headquaters
For your information, the FMLN committees of
Vancouver and Victoria are planning an
anti-mining protest in front of the Pacific Rim
Headquaters (595 Burrard St.) in Vancouver this
coming Monday September 14th, from 11:30-12:30.
If you have any contacts that would benefit from
this information please feel free to pass it on.
The more people present the better. Our goal is
to send a strong message to Pacific Rim that
there are people here in Canada that are aware
of their actions in El Salvador. We will also be
passing out information pamphlets in order to
increase education and awareness regarding this
important issue.
from
Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
MiningWatch Canada
http://www.miningwatch.ca
Vancouver and Victoria are planning an
anti-mining protest in front of the Pacific Rim
Headquaters (595 Burrard St.) in Vancouver this
coming Monday September 14th, from 11:30-12:30.
If you have any contacts that would benefit from
this information please feel free to pass it on.
The more people present the better. Our goal is
to send a strong message to Pacific Rim that
there are people here in Canada that are aware
of their actions in El Salvador. We will also be
passing out information pamphlets in order to
increase education and awareness regarding this
important issue.
from
Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
MiningWatch Canada
http://www.miningwatch.ca
Thursday, September 03, 2009
US halts aid over Honduras coup
|
Thursday, July 16, 2009
El Salvador's Gold Fight
Michael Busch | July 16, 2009
Editor: Emily Schwartz Greco
Foreign Policy In FocusAs El Salvador transitions from decades of conservative rule to the administration of leftist President Mauricio Funes, the country faces an international showdown triggered by a restrictive free-trade agreement between the United States and Central America. Canada's Pacific Rim Mining Corporation is suing the government for its refusal to allow it to mine gold in El Salvador's rural north. If Pacific Rim succeeds in securing the $100 million settlement it seeks, that would set a troubling precedent. At stake is a question that affects all nations: Can private interests trump national sovereignty under international law?
click for entire article
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Owner-state model would benefit Sudan (& other places?)
Anchorage Daily News
by WALLY HICKEL (former Interior Secretary for Nixon)
COMMENT
(05/30/09 19:02:51)
by WALLY HICKEL (former Interior Secretary for Nixon)
COMMENT
(05/30/09 19:02:51)
For 16 years, my son Jack worked in southern Africa as a medical missionary, mostly in Swaziland. When his mother and I visited, we discovered that, in spite of the dramatically different climate, Jack was facing challenges in rural Africa that were similar to those in rural Alaska.
Since 1997 Jack has been back in Alaska earning funds to help his children get through college. He works at the Alaska Native Medical Center, but he has never lost his commitment to Africa.
More than a year ago, he visited southern Sudan to help Dr. Jill Seaman, a Bethel physician who works for much of the year in the remote village of Old Fangak, located in the largest swamp in the world, east of the Nile River.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Fingerprinting Plan Will Dramatically Increase Deportations
'Secure Communities' Would Ensnare Minor as well as Serious Offenders
By Daphne Eviatar 5/22/09 6:00 AM
The idea of deporting illegal immigrants who are also hardened criminals wouldn’t seem like a controversial idea. So when David Venturella, Executive Director of the Secure Communities Program at Immigration and Customs Enforcement testified to Congress in April, he proudly announced the expansion of his program as part of a “comprehensive effort to increase national security and community safety by identifying, processing, and removing deportable criminal aliens.”
Friday, May 08, 2009
Obama on Immigration Reform
from the "100th Day Press Conference"
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, when you met with the Hispanic Caucus a few weeks ago, reports came out that the White House was planning to have a forum to talk about immigration and bring it to the forefront.
Going forward, my question is, what is your strategy to try to have immigration reform? And are you still on the same timetable to have it accomplished in the first year of your presidency?
And, also, I'd like to know if you're going to reach out to Senator John McCain , who is Republican and in the past has favored immigration reform?
OBAMA: Well, we reach out to -- to Senator McCain on a whole host of issues. He has been a leader on immigration reform. I think he has had the right position on immigration reform. And I would love to partner with him and others on what is going to be a critical issue. We've also worked with Senator McCain on what I think is a terrific piece of legislation that he and Carl Levin have put together around procurement reform. We want that moved, and we're going to be working hard with them to get that accomplished.
What I told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is exactly what I said the very next day in a town hall meeting and what I will continue to say publicly, and that is we want to move this process.
We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody. It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would-be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border.
OBAMA: It is -- it is putting a strain on border communities, who oftentimes have to deal with a host of undocumented workers. And it keeps those undocumented workers in the shadows, which means they can be exploited at the same time as they're depressing U.S. wages.
So, what I hope to happen is that we're able to convene a working group, working with key legislators like Luis Gutierrez and Nydia Velazquez and others to start looking at a framework of how this legislation might be shaped.
In the meantime, what we're trying to do is take some core -- some key administrative steps to move the process along to lay the groundwork for legislation. Because the American people need some confidence that if we actually put a package together, we can execute.
So Janet Napolitano , who has great knowledge of this because of having been a border governor, she's already in the process of reviewing and figuring out how can we strengthen our border security in a much more significant way than we're doing.
If the American people don't feel like you can secure the borders, then it's hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, well, you're just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year.
On the other hand, showing that there is a more thoughtful approach than just raids of a handful of workers as opposed to, for example, taking seriously the violation of companies that sometimes are actively recruiting these workers to come in. That's again something we can start doing administratively.
So what we want to do is to show that we are competent and getting results around immigration, even on the structures that we already have in place, the laws that we already have in place, so that we're building confidence among the American people that we can actually follow through on whatever legislative approach emerges. OK?
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, when you met with the Hispanic Caucus a few weeks ago, reports came out that the White House was planning to have a forum to talk about immigration and bring it to the forefront.
Going forward, my question is, what is your strategy to try to have immigration reform? And are you still on the same timetable to have it accomplished in the first year of your presidency?
And, also, I'd like to know if you're going to reach out to Senator John McCain , who is Republican and in the past has favored immigration reform?
OBAMA: Well, we reach out to -- to Senator McCain on a whole host of issues. He has been a leader on immigration reform. I think he has had the right position on immigration reform. And I would love to partner with him and others on what is going to be a critical issue. We've also worked with Senator McCain on what I think is a terrific piece of legislation that he and Carl Levin have put together around procurement reform. We want that moved, and we're going to be working hard with them to get that accomplished.
What I told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is exactly what I said the very next day in a town hall meeting and what I will continue to say publicly, and that is we want to move this process.
We can't continue with a broken immigration system. It's not good for anybody. It's not good for American workers. It's dangerous for Mexican would-be workers who are trying to cross a dangerous border.
OBAMA: It is -- it is putting a strain on border communities, who oftentimes have to deal with a host of undocumented workers. And it keeps those undocumented workers in the shadows, which means they can be exploited at the same time as they're depressing U.S. wages.
So, what I hope to happen is that we're able to convene a working group, working with key legislators like Luis Gutierrez and Nydia Velazquez and others to start looking at a framework of how this legislation might be shaped.
In the meantime, what we're trying to do is take some core -- some key administrative steps to move the process along to lay the groundwork for legislation. Because the American people need some confidence that if we actually put a package together, we can execute.
So Janet Napolitano , who has great knowledge of this because of having been a border governor, she's already in the process of reviewing and figuring out how can we strengthen our border security in a much more significant way than we're doing.
If the American people don't feel like you can secure the borders, then it's hard to strike a deal that would get people out of the shadows and on a pathway to citizenship who are already here, because the attitude of the average American is going to be, well, you're just going to have hundreds of thousands of more coming in each year.
On the other hand, showing that there is a more thoughtful approach than just raids of a handful of workers as opposed to, for example, taking seriously the violation of companies that sometimes are actively recruiting these workers to come in. That's again something we can start doing administratively.
So what we want to do is to show that we are competent and getting results around immigration, even on the structures that we already have in place, the laws that we already have in place, so that we're building confidence among the American people that we can actually follow through on whatever legislative approach emerges. OK?
Sunday, May 03, 2009
New York Times Editorial
A Shift on Immigration
Last week, immigration enforcement policy shifted a little. The administration issued guidelines for Immigration and Customs Enforcement that place a new emphasis on prosecuting employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
That is a good idea, and a break from the Bush administration method — mass raids to net immigrant workers while leaving their bosses alone. The raids were tuned to the theatrics of the poisoned immigration debate, using heavy weapons, dogs and helicopters to spread the illusion that something was getting fixed.
But as policy, they were worse than useless. They netted about 6,000 undocumented immigrants, out of 12 million, and 135 employers or supervisors. They destroyed families, tearing parents and grandparents from children, many of them citizens. The fear they caused went viral in immigrant communities, driving workers further into the arms of abusive employers while bringing us no closer to a working immigration system.(Link to complete Editorial)
Rights, Not Raids
Comment
By Bill Ong Hing & David Bacon
This article appeared in the May 18, 2009 edition of The Nation.
April 29, 2009
When the Obama administration reiterated recently that it will make an immigration reform proposal this year, hopes rose among millions of immigrant families for the "change we can believe in." That was followed by a new immigration position embraced by both the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win unions, rejecting the expansion of guest worker programs, which some unions had supported.
As it prepares a reform package, the administration should look seriously at why the deals created over the past several years failed, and consider alternatives. Beltway groups are again proposing employment visas for future (post-recession, presumably) labor shortages and continued imprisonment of the undocumented in detention centers, which they deem "necessary in some cases." Most disturbing, after years of the Bush raids, is the continued emphasis on enforcement against workers. We need a reality check.
For more than two decades it has been a crime for an undocumented worker to hold a job in the United States. To enforce the prohibition, agents conduct immigration raids, of the kind we saw at meatpacking plants in the past few years.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
How “The NAFTA Flu” Exploded
Smithfield Farms Fled US Environmental Laws to Open a Gigantic Pig Farm in Mexico, and All We Got Was this Lousy Swine Flu
By Al Giordano
By Al Giordano
Special to The Narco News Bulletin
April 29, 2009
US and Mexico authorities claim that neither knew about the “swine flu” outbreak until April 24. But after hundreds of residents of a town in Veracruz, Mexico, came down with its symptoms, the story had already hit the Mexican national press by April 5. The daily La Jornada reported:
Clouds of flies emanate from the rusty lagoons where the Carroll Ranches business tosses the fecal wastes of its pig farms, and the open-air contamination is already generating an epidemic of respiratory infections in the town of La Gloria, in the Perote Valley, according to Town Administrator Bertha Crisóstomo López.
The town has 3,000 inhabitants, hundreds of whom reported severe flu symptoms in March.
Pacific Rim Subsidiary Commences CAFTA Arbitration Proceedings Against the Government of El Salvador
(Pac Rim press release)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- 04/30/09 -- Pac Rim Cayman LLC ("Pac Rim" or the "Company"), a Nevada corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Rim Mining Corp. (TSX: PMU)(NYSE Alternext US: PMU)(NYSE Amex: PMU.A) ("Pacific Rim") has today filed international arbitration proceedings against the Government of El Salvador (the "Government") under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States of America Free Trade Agreement ("CAFTA") in its own name and on behalf of its two wholly-owned El Salvadoran enterprises, Pacific Rim El Salvador, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable ("PRES") and Dorado Exploraciones, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable ("DOREX") (collectively, the "Enterprises"). The Company has retained the Washington, DC-based international law firm of Crowell & Moring, LLP to represent it in the arbitration. The Company will be seeking award of damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars from the Government for its multiple breaches of international and Salvadoran law.
(link to the complete press release)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- 04/30/09 -- Pac Rim Cayman LLC ("Pac Rim" or the "Company"), a Nevada corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pacific Rim Mining Corp. (TSX: PMU)(NYSE Alternext US: PMU)(NYSE Amex: PMU.A) ("Pacific Rim") has today filed international arbitration proceedings against the Government of El Salvador (the "Government") under the Central America-Dominican Republic-United States of America Free Trade Agreement ("CAFTA") in its own name and on behalf of its two wholly-owned El Salvadoran enterprises, Pacific Rim El Salvador, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable ("PRES") and Dorado Exploraciones, Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable ("DOREX") (collectively, the "Enterprises"). The Company has retained the Washington, DC-based international law firm of Crowell & Moring, LLP to represent it in the arbitration. The Company will be seeking award of damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars from the Government for its multiple breaches of international and Salvadoran law.
(link to the complete press release)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Pacific Rim mining suing El Salvador
Mining company seeks arbitration over 4-year delay in El Salvador
By BLAKE SCHMIDT
Special to The Miami Herald
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Canadian mining company Pacific Rim will take the Salvadoran government to international arbitration court for alleged losses caused by government ''inaction'' due to permit delays for what would be El Salvador's biggest mine to date.
The company has been waiting for four years for final permits for the underground gold mine, which faces staunch opposition from Salvadoran environmentalists and church leaders as the first large-scale mine in 70 years in Central America's smallest country.
The case is among the first international investment disputes under the Central American Free-Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, which eliminated barriers to trade and laid ground rules for such disputes. The Vancouver-based company invested $77 in exploration after it received initial permits in 2005.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Growing Latin American Influence: Opportunities for Maine's Economy
Thursday April 23rd, 2009
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Nearly 16,000 Hispanics live in Maine. From 2000 to 2007, Maine's Hispanic population grew by 67% compared to 3.3% growth for the total population. This report documents the contributions of Maine's growing Latino population focusing on first and second generation Latinos. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research, we follow the demographic trends, economic contributions and varied experiences associated with the state's growing Hispanic population.
(view full publication)
Maine Center for Economic Policy
Nearly 16,000 Hispanics live in Maine. From 2000 to 2007, Maine's Hispanic population grew by 67% compared to 3.3% growth for the total population. This report documents the contributions of Maine's growing Latino population focusing on first and second generation Latinos. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research, we follow the demographic trends, economic contributions and varied experiences associated with the state's growing Hispanic population.
(view full publication)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
An Answer to the Global Food Crisis: Peasants and small farmers can feed the world!
| (this is a little dated but still good!!!) (Click here for the original and to get whole article) Thursday, 01 May 2008 | |
| Prices on the world market for cereals are rising. Wheat prices increased by 130% in the period between March 2007- March 2008. Rice prices increased by almost 80% in the period up to 2008. Maize prices increased by 35% between March 2007 and March 2008 (1). In countries that depend heavily on food imports some prices have gone up dramatically. Poor families see their food bills go up and can no longer afford to buy the minimum needed. In many countries cereal prices have doubled or tripled over the last year. Governments in these countries are under high pressure to make food available at reasonable prices. In Haiti the government already fell because of this issue and strong protests have taken place in other countries such as Cameroun, Egypt, and the Philippines… The current crisis: a result of agricultural liberalization |
Monday, April 20, 2009
" This 'Year Zero' mindset"
from Jesse Freeston of The Real News Network
Hello from Washington, DC.
Not going to take up much of your time, but here is my video report from El Salvador in response to Barack Obama´s announcement at the past weekend´s "Summit of the Americas(minus Cuba)" that: "I didn´t come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future." This 'Year Zero' mindset may charm North Americans, but as I hope the video demonstrates, in El Salvador, the past in many ways IS the present, and any attempt to move forward without attempting to understand it is futile. So many people are still dealing with the same problems (state violence and poverty, mostly) that they were then, with the same root causes. The piece also takes on the idea that the arrival of leftist governments in Latin America is the result of an international movement, or ´Pink Tide´ as the papers call it. This approach often leaves out the historical experience of each one of these countries, which most people I spoke to (many of which were included in the video) believe is the only explanation for why the left has come to power.
Hope that you like it. It´ll be on the front page (www.therealnews.com) for a few days, after that it will be at: http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3587&updaterx=2009-04-20+07%3A53%3A24
Jesse.
Hello from Washington, DC.
Not going to take up much of your time, but here is my video report from El Salvador in response to Barack Obama´s announcement at the past weekend´s "Summit of the Americas(minus Cuba)" that: "I didn´t come here to debate the past, I came here to deal with the future." This 'Year Zero' mindset may charm North Americans, but as I hope the video demonstrates, in El Salvador, the past in many ways IS the present, and any attempt to move forward without attempting to understand it is futile. So many people are still dealing with the same problems (state violence and poverty, mostly) that they were then, with the same root causes. The piece also takes on the idea that the arrival of leftist governments in Latin America is the result of an international movement, or ´Pink Tide´ as the papers call it. This approach often leaves out the historical experience of each one of these countries, which most people I spoke to (many of which were included in the video) believe is the only explanation for why the left has come to power.
Hope that you like it. It´ll be on the front page (www.therealnews.com) for a few days, after that it will be at: http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3587&updaterx=2009-04-20+07%3A53%3A24
Jesse.
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