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When communities in rural El Salvador
learned that Canadian corporations were exploring for gold on their
their land in 2006, they began a national movement to educate and
resist gold mining in El Salvador.
With El Salvador's extremely high
population density, gold mining threatens the livelihood of millions
of families. Mining uses cyanide, mercury and lead to extract gold
from rock. Just one of the 29 mines proposed in the country would
use 50 tons of cyanide per day, causing dangerous health effects and
contaminating the River Lempa, the water source of 50% of the
population.
In response to the threats of mining,
CRIPDES is a part of the National Roundtable against Mineral Mining,
a national coalition built to oppose mining in El Salvador. CRIPDES
asked Sister Cities to advocate from the U.S. against North American
companies mining in El Salvador, a campaign that we have worked on
since 2007.
As a national network, Sister Cities
educates about mining and takes action to publicize the issue,
advocates to our Congressional representatives and to the North
American mining companies.
 Iramon Mountain is a water source for thousands, and a mining target
- We actively oppose the Pacific Rim and
Commerce Group suits through CAFTA, totaling $177 million against the
Salvadoran government for not giving mining permits to the company.
- We support the National Roundtable in
their demand for a law banning mineral mining in El Salvador
- We denounce the violence and threats to
anti-mining activists and community leaders in the country, and
support the struggle for justice in the violence toward social
leaders
For more information about mining,
check out our News
and Publications, or the following links:
Fact Sheet: Mining in El Salvador, May 2010
Pacific
Rim vs. El Salvador: The Conflict Comes to Washington D.C. May 2010.
Mining
for Profits in International Tribunals, from the Institute for Policy
Studies, April 2010
Declaration:
We Must Deter Mineral Mining in Mesoamerica!
Mining in Honduras, Post-Coup: May 2010 article
El
Salvador: Gold Guns and Choice, from Rick Steiner, IUCN, February,
2010
140
Organizations Sign Letter Calling for Justice in Cabanas, Feb 2010
U.S.
Embassy Supports Pacific Rim Mining Co? Feb, 2010
A
History of Mining in El Salvador, Jan 2010
Mesa
Frente a la Mineria Release: Assassinations in Cabanas, Dec. 22, 2009
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