The Media Co-op

Carlos Amador, member of the Siria Valley Environmental Defense Committee in Honduras, will arrive in Vancouver this week to tell investors in Goldcorp that “all the benefits for Goldcorp’s shareholders in 2009 are being made from the human suffering of communities living close to the San Martin mine”.

It is not Carlos’ first time in Vancouver. He came in 2007 to protest the AGM of Goldcorp, the world’s second largest gold mining company. He’ll be joined by two Guatemalans of Mayan descent, whose territories are threatened by Goldcorp’s operations.

The failure to properly consult indigenous communities as required by international law prior to commencing operations sets the backdrop of the controversial mining operation in Guatemala, that of Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, S.A. (subsidiary of Goldcorp Inc.). The Marlin Mine is an open pit, cyanide-leaching gold operation located in the municipality of San Miguel Ixtahuacán in the department of San Marcos.

Friday May 22nd, Goldcorp will hold its AGM at the Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver. Activists and concerned people from across Canada and the US plan to bring attention to Goldcorp’s overseas activities outside of the meeting, indigenous representatives from mine affected communities in Guatemala and Honduras hope to present their concerns to shareholders inside the meeting.

Raising objections about excessive water use and contamination resulting from the cyanide leaching process, the consequent poisoning of community members and livestock, and the social conflict that mining activities have brought to mining regions, indigenous communities across Guatemala have (as well as in other parts of Latin America) have been solidly rejecting mining in their communities.