Doesn't look good for us

Some of you may recall the previous posting on the Huelga de Dolores, in which Canada was being protested for its mining practices in Guatemala. Well, things are turning ugly around this issue—particularly in the town of Sololá, through which the Renee/Cyp/Gab/Sam/Pat contingent passed several times en route to Panajachel.

As far as I can tell, a Canadian company called "Glamis Gold" wants to set up a mine with a purification process that involves large amounts of cyanide. Being an agricultural area, the local (mostly Mayan) residents worry about the environmental impact. There have been protests.

Source: Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network

Here's where it gets ugly: anti-mine protestors have been killed, and others threatened. A car bomb exploded. Amnesty International has put out an "urgent action" calling for protection of the threatened protestors. The company in turn has claimed that it too has recieved threats.

There is alot of history to this: the CIA installed the government that resulted in the 36-year civil war that left 200,000 dead or missing in order to protect the interests of a foreign company—in that case, the American United Fruit Company. The area around lake Atitlán (where Sololá is located) experienced some of the worst repression during this time (in the form of massacres and disappearances, among other things). A violent conflict involving assassinations and foreign corporate interests could dredge up a lot of ugliness.

I've only read a few articles on this, so I'm in no position to pass sweeping judgement. However, the initial reports are not making the Canadian company look good, and when those who question foreign interests start getting killed, it really becomes a cause for concern.

Here are some articles I've found:

• Critical backgrounder from "Mining Watch", a mining watchdog group. Links to more resources
• CBC Article
• AOL Finance article
• The Amnesty International call for Urgent Action