In Peru, Chile and Guatemala, people decide to defend their collective rights and the life of Mother Earth. 03/22/1911
Mariátegui
Abya In various parts of Yala, increasingly, indigenous peoples express our choice for life, the defense of Mother Earth and our collective rights. In Peru, the community of Leymebamba (Amazon region) rejected the Consorcio Minero Horizonte raid on their land, in Chile, reported the approval of a mining project in the birth of the Huasco river and in Guatemala, a query rejected exploration and mining in Mayan territories.
Leymebamba, Peru
On Friday March 18, the residents of Leymebamba met at the House of Culture with the geologist Manuel Vera and the official Johnny Rodriguez del Consorcio Minero Horizonte, who under the pretext of taking a walk in the zone "Pasabreve" where its mining concession stands, tried to enter the community. This company has a concession of 22 000 hectares granted by the State at the head of river basins and Huabayacu Atuen, tributaries of the Marañon and Huallaga River, to exploit minerals such as zinc, lead and silver.
Despite many offers from the company, support tourism, livestock, technical assistance and processing of resources, the villagers rejected the incursion of mining. "Mining in our country has not benefited the people, rather the poorest departments are those with mining, we are well aware of it," said the commoner Florindez Gregorio, adding that Leymebamba is an agricultural village, livestock and tourism and has no idle labor.
"Here the population lives on agriculture, tourism and ranching, and tourism is eternal, is transient and mining contaminated leaves us, let us live in peace. If you blow up that area greatly affect livestock producers and tourist areas of Vira Vira (building intact Chachapoyas culture entirely of stone), the Serpent Lake and forests, "said villager Ullilén July.
"The State in Lima da concessions and do not respect the ILO Convention 169 for a consultation peoples, "said the villager meanwhile Zosimo Escobedo. "Here in Leymebamba not want mining, came three years ago this same company and so we told them."
Huasco River, Chile
March 14 approved the mining project El Morro, located in the heart of the mountains, where they are born our Huasco river. The environmental assessment process began in 2009, with the delivery of an incomplete study. Even so, followed later by a blind eye to the citizen comments. His main argument was that they will not use water from the valley and would install a desalination plant to operate their work.
The argument is false because the river will be affected in any case, for example:
· For investment purposes the water flow, which naturally flow into the valley, the river and all the irrigators will lose about 200 liters / sec. And besides, why bought shares of water if they will not use river water.
· Located in Long Creek tributary of the river a tailings dam with a capacity of 450 million cubic meters. It is an area where the bedrock is fractured and there is a fault line, there was registered the epicenter of the earthquakes of 1918 and 1922, which totally destroyed and Copiapo Vallenar.
· Disposal of tailings located on the same stream, leaving environmental liabilities forever.
Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
The people of the forty-five communities, development organizations, local and municipal government of the municipality of San Martin Maya Mam Sacatepéquez, Quetzaltenango department, reported that in its territory, particularly in the municipalities of Huit, San Carlos Sija Cabricán and are authorized mining exploration licenses for gold, silver, zinc and other metals: LR-O74 MAQUIVIL Registration, Registration Calel LEXR-828, Record ELUVIA LEXR-010-06, MARINA Register LEXR-08-06 .
March 16, the Mam Mayan people and municipal government Community Consultation held their Good Faith, protected by the Constitution of the Republic, Convention 169 of ILO and United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Municipal Code Councils Act and Urban and Rural Development, and more importantly using their own forms of organization. Of the twenty thousand eligible voters, said NO to 17.879 hydroelectric and mining.
In a statement released today, the Maya communities sustain their rejection of mining "because transnational corporations invade our territory without consulting and its consequences have been demonstrated in the territories of the Mam Mayan people of San Miguel community and Sipakapense Maya people in San Marcos. This result represents the voice and decision of the people of our municipality. "
therefore demand the government not to extend more licenses for exploration and exploitation of Mother Earth and cancel all licenses already granted in the municipality.
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