A new organisation, International Allies Coalition Against Mining in El Salvador, often just referred to just as International Allies, has issued a statement in support of El Salvador’s mining ban.
Key words: Mining ban; Pacific Rim/Oceana Gold; ICSID (International Court for the Settlement of Investment Disputes); National Roundtable Against Metal Mining; National Alliance Against the Privatization of Water.
In October 2019, it will be three years since the government of El
Salvador successfully defended itself against Pacific Rim/OceanaGold, a
transnational mining company that sued the small nation under the ICSID [International Court for the Settlement of
Investment Disputes] for a sum of US$250 million dollars for not granting a
mining exploitation permit. The company had never met regulatory requirements
to obtain a mining permit and ultimately lost the suit. This was an
important turning point in a twelve-year struggle, led by a wide coalition of
communities, social organisations, faith groups, academics and political
parties that demanded a nationwide prohibition on all metal mining in the small
country. In March 2017, El Salvador made history as its legislative assembly
passed a unanimous law to prohibit mining. Our International Allies
coalition played an important supporting role with Salvadoran mining-affected
communities and local organisations to also challenge trade agreements and
arbitration tribunals that facilitate the exploitation of people and natural
resources, and give corporations powerful tools to impose their interests at
great cost to people and the environment.
We have continued to support the activities of member organisations of the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining, a grassroots coalition that led a local movement to prohibit mining in March 2017. Since the mining prohibition, local organisations have continued to advocate with government authorities measures to ensure a proper implementation of the prohibition laws. The environmental movement has now formed the National Alliance against the Privatization of Water to fight attempts by the Legislative Assembly to privatize the management and distribution of water resources as the new government of president Nayib Bukele moves the country towards a more business friendly environment.
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