GOLDCORP FOUND GUILTY BY INTERNATIONAL HEALTH TRIBUNAL FOR HEALTH HARMS, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION
The Peoples' International Health Tribunal came to a close today shortly after the reading of the judge's final deliberation. The panel summarized the facts of the case against Goldcorp that they had heard in the previous day of testimonies regarding health issues, heightened birth defects, the contamination of the environment and lack of consent, as well as the psychological impacts of community division and the criminalization of dissent and the collective health of the community regarding issues such as addiction, an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and gender violence.
The distinguished panel (http://healthtribunal.org/more-details-2/jury-members/) delivered a guilty verdict to Goldcorp, the host countries of Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, as well as the Canadian Government for supporting and promoting in various ways the irresponsible mining investments in Mesoamerica.For the reasons above described, we find Goldcorp guilty for its activities in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, which we find to be seriously damaging to the health and the quality of life, the quality of environment, and the right to self determination of the affected Indigenous and campesino communities.
Following the verdict, the judges read recommendations to the communities and demands of Goldcorp and of the States (national, departmental, state and municipal governments).
- Final verdict: http://healthtribunal.org/the-final-verdict/.
- (Rough) transcript of the Tribunal: http://healthtribunal.org/resources/the-tribunal-live/.
- Media contacts: http://healthtribunal.org/get-involved/join-a-delegation/.
- M4 statement: http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/10674.
- Press release on Rabble: http://rabble.ca/news/2012/07/peoples-tribunal-goldcorp-guilty-damaging-environment-and-indigenous-communities.
- Report about mining resistance throughout Guatemala: http://intercontinentalcry.org/goldcorp-found-guilty-human-rights-violations-health-harms-environmental-contamination/.
- Photo essay: http://www.mimundo.org/2012/07/14/2012-07-14-the-peoples%E2%80%99-international-health-tribunal-in-images/.
More information: www.healthtribunal.org
Rights Action (info@rightsaction.org)
Keep on sending copies of this information, and your own letters, to your own Canadian and American politicians (MPs, Congresspersons, Senators) and other government officials, and to your own media. North American resource extraction companies operate around the world with the full support of North American governments. Please send copies to pension funds across North America - like the Canada Pension Plan - that are invested in and profiting from most North American resource extraction companies around the world, with no real concern for environmental, health or human rights concerns.
GET INFORMED / GET INVOLVED
- SPEAKERS: Contact us to plan educational presentations in your community
- EDUCATIONAL DELEGATIONS TO GUATEMALA & HONDURAS: Form your own group or join one of our delegations to learn first hand about community development, human rights and environmental struggles
- NEWS: www.democracynow.org / http://therealnews.com/t2/ / www.upsidedownworld.org / www.dominionpaper.ca /
- BOOKS:
- Eduardo Galeano's "Open Veins of Latin America"
- Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"
- James Loewen's "Lies My Teacher Told Me"
- Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine"
- Paolo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed"
- Dr Seuss's "Horton Hears A Who"
- Please re-publish and re-post this article, citing author and source
- Donate to support: victim and survivor, founded human rights organizations, and indigenous and campesino organizations.
- Create your own email and mail lists and re-distribute our information.
TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS (in Canada and the USA) for courageous community organizations in Honduras and Guatemala - like many grassroots groups that participated in this Health Tribunal - that are working and struggling for community development, the environment, human rights and justice, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS: http://rightsaction.org/tax-deductible-donations
DONATIONS OF STOCK: info@rightsaction.org
A new year in Guatemala ; same problems of violence, repression and impunity related to mining. The first two weeks of January witnessed outbreaks of violent protests and attacks at three mining operations. Dozens have been wounded; at least 3 people have been killed.
A Public Letter, sent to Member of Parliament Diane Ablonczy, concerning the criminalization of people in Guatemala who are peacefully defending communities from illegal and harmful entry of Canadian (and other) mining companies.
In the late 1990s, early 2000s, global (mainly Canadian) mining companies received mining concessions from Guatemalan governments when the most powerful politician in Guatemala was former General Rios Montt, now on house arrest for being one of the intellectual authors of Guatemala's genocide and State repression against its own population in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s.
We are heading a call from communities in the global south that have organized and are resisting the exploitive practices of the mega resource extractive industry. We, in solidarity with communities impacted by the Canadian extractive industry throughout the Americas call for a Continental Day of Action on August 1st, 2012 to demand an end to exploitative and unjust mining practices.
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