Release the verdict now!
1. The World Bank Group’s ICSID immediately release a favorable decision that will finally vindicate the people of El Salvador and will allow their government to recover all legal expenses.
2. OceanaGold immediately discontinue all of its operations in El Salvador, including its Salvadoran subsidiaries Minerales Torogoz and El Dorado Exploraciones, along with the bogus El Dorado Foundation, which demonstrates utter disrespect for the broad opposition to mining in the communities, and could escalate the potential for conflict and further violence levels already been seen when Pacific Rim operated there.
We support the President of El Salvador, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who has stated that he remains firm in his commitment not to grant mining concessions.
BACKGROUND
In 2009, the Canadian mining company Pacific Rim launched a frivolous ICSID lawsuit against the government of El Salvador after the president announced an administrative freeze on mining permits. Pacific Rim conveniently failed to mention the fact that it had failed to meet regulatory requirements to obtain a permit for its El Dorado project. Instead, it sued the government, demanding compensation for future profits foregone.
In El Salvador, the company has upped its claim against El Salvador, to US$250 million. And, in Cabañas, OceanaGold continues to work through its deceptive and dangerous foundation in that claims to do “social responsibility” work, but is really a PR front for the company that could be laying the foundations for violent conflict.
It is now seven and a half years since the law suit against El Salvador was brought to ICSID and more than two years since the ICSID tribunal held hearings on the merits where both sides presented final arguments to the arbitrating panel. Four months ago, El Salvador and OceanaGold were informed that the three panel members had reached a decision, which was being translated to Spanish. Yet, a verdict has yet to be made public. It has become public knowledge that OceanaGold requested a delay in the ruling, so that it could try – fortunately unsuccessfully – to reach a negotiated agreement with the Salvadoran government. Although El Salvador opposed the request for a delay, and thus OceanaGold’s request could not be granted officially, the tribunal has not yet released its final decision, effectively delaying the ruling, as OceanaGold wanted.
It is high time for ICSID to release the decision.
“We consider it an act of contempt against the will of the people of El Salvador who have clearly demonstrated their opposition to metal mining when executives of OceanaGold request that ICSID delay the release of the decision,” said Vidalina Morales, president of the Association for the Socio Economic Development of El Salvador (ADES) and member of the National Roundtable Against Mining in El Salvador.
“We have asked our allies around the world to denounce the ICSID for pandering to corporate interests and to remind the company that mining-affected communities in El Salvador are accompanied by civil society organizations including NGOs, universities, student groups, social movements, and faith organizations, such as the Catholic Church, and the democratically elected government of El Salvador to say no to mining.”
A recent poll conducted by the University of Central America in El Salvador indicates that 79.5% of Salvadorans believe El Salvador not to be an appropriate country for metallic mining. This is why we members of International Allies stand with Salvadoran people and La Mesa in releasing this statement and saying : Yes to Life, No to Mining.
For further information www.stopesmining.org
Contacts
- Kevin Bracken, Maritime Union of Australia – kevin.bracken57@gmail.com
- Sean Cleary, Edmund Rice Centre – sendwine@gmail.com, + 07-3376-8448
- Jen Moore, MiningWatch Canada – jen@miningwatch.ca, +1 613 569 3439
- Rachel Small, Council of Canadians – rsmall@canadians.org, *1 416-979-5554, 1-800-208-7156
- Amanda Kistler, CIEL – akistler@ciel.org, +1 202 742-5832
- Manuel Perez Rocha, IPS – manuel@ips-dc.org, + 1 240 838 6623
- Robin Broad, American University – rbroad@american.edu, + 1 202 885 1478