OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENT OF GUATEMALA FROM MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Brussels, October 2010
RE: the precautionary measures granted by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights to communities of the Maya indigenous peoples of the Sipacapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacán Municipalities in the Department of San Marcos, Guatemala
Mr. Alvaro Colom
President of the Republic of Guatemala
We, the undersigned members of the European Parliament, express our concern regarding the information received about the alleged violations of human rights of the Maya peoples (Sipakapense and Mam) of the Sipacapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacán Municipalities in the Department of San Marcos, in the framework of the mining of the Marlin I project and other activities related to the concession granted to the company Goldcorp/Montana Exploradora de Guatemala S.A.
These alleged violations led the Inter American Commission of Human Rights (henceforth “the IACHR”) to grant precautionary measures for the members of these communities on May 20, 2010. These precautionary measures, which respond to the same concerns we express, aim to avoid serious and irreparable harm to the human rights of these communities.
We urge the State of Guatemala to carry out efficient implementation of these measures, which request, interalia:
* “the suspension of mining of the Marlin I project and other activities related to the concession granted [...];
* adoption of the necessary decontamination measures [...];
* assurance of [community] members’ access to water fit for human consumption;
* addressing health problems [...];
* adoption of any other necessary measures to guarantee the life and physical integrity of the members of the 18 aforementioned Maya communities; and
* planning and implementation of the protection measures with the participation of the beneficiaries and/or their representatives”.
We appreciate that the State of Guatemala, on the initiative of the Prosecutor General (Procurador General de la Nación), began the administrative process to suspend operations of the Mining Law Marlin I on August 10, in order to comply with the commitments made under International Human Rights Law. We ask the Government to keep us informed on progress and results in the implementation of this process, to report to us on the extent to which precautionary measures are being implemented, and to inform us about the participation of the representatives of the communities in the planning and implementation of these measures.
We further voice our concern in relation to the growing climate of conflict in the villages surrounding the mine, the attacks against individuals opposed to mining, as well as alleged arrest warrants against leaders and spokespersons for the affected communities. We ask the government to keep us informed on the specific actions taken to protect the life and physical integrity of the members of the 18 communities, until the IACHR adopts a decision on the merits of the petition associated with this request for precautionary measures.
The strength of the Inter American human rights system and compliance with the obligations undertaken through the Inter American Convention on Human Rights are essential for strengthening the political, economic and social development of the region, and represent the basis of the European Union’s relations with Central America. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force and the recently signed Association Agreement have at their foundation the democratic and human rights clause. This clause gives us confidence that the State of Guatemala will comply with the precautionary measures granted by the IACHR.
SIGNATURES FROM EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT:
Eva-Britt SVENSSON, Sweden, President of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Marita ULVSKOG, Sweden, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Ivo BELET, Belgium, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Jean-Luc DEHAENE, Belgium, Committee on Budgets
Jean LAMBERT, United Kingdom, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
Göran FÄRM, Sweden, Committee on Budgets
Catherine GREZE, France, Committee on Development
Ska KELLER, Germany, Committee on Development
Nikolaos CHOUNTIS, Greece, Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Barbara LOCHBIHLER, Germany, Subcommittee on Human Rights
Bart STAES, Belgium, Committee on budgetary Control
Wolfgang KREISSL-DORFLER, Germany, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Oriol JUNQUERAS VIES, Spain, Committee on Petitions
Franziska Katharina BRANTNER, Germany, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Helmut SCHOLZ, Germany, Committee on International Trade
Frieda BREPOELS, Belgium, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Satu HASSI, Finland, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Anna HEDH, Sweden, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Åsa WESTLUND, Sweden, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Raul ROMEVA I RUEDA, Spain, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Olle LUDVIGSSON, Sweden, ommittee on Employment and Social Affairs
Kathleen VAN BREMPT, Belgium, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Rui TAVARES, Portugal, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Saïd EL KHADRAOUI, Belgium, Committee on Transport and Tourism
Heide RÜHLE, Germany, Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Martin HÄUSLING, Germany, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
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CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Write to your own MP and government officials, to the Canada Pension Plan, to your own Pension fund (if they are invested in Goldcorp), and to any and all of the following. Send a copy of the European Parliament letter.
Ask them “How many times can [Canada] turn [it's] head and pretend that [it] just doesn’t see …” (with respect to Bob Dylan).
info@gg.ca, DMousseau@GG.CA, harpes@parl.gc.ca, Oda.B@parl.gc.ca, cannol@parl.gc.ca, kent.p@parl.gc.ca, SorenK@parl.gc.ca, ducepg@parl.gc.ca, laytoj@parl.gc.ca, emaytowin@greenparty.ca, ignatm@parl.gc.ca, RaeB@parl.gc.ca, LalonF@parl.gc.ca, DewarP@parl.gc.ca, bagnell.l@parl.gc.ca, days@parl.gc.ca, julian.p@parl.gc.ca, MckayJ@parl.gc.ca, SorenK@parl.gc.ca, allison.d@parl.gc.ca, dewarp@parl.gc.ca, Marketa.Evans@international.gc.ca, barbara.curran@acdi-cida.gc.ca, kate.stefanuk@acdi-cida.gc.ca, leeann.mckechnie@international.gc.ca, karin.reinecke@international.gc.ca, gtmla@international.gc.ca, sjcra@international.gc.ca, tglpa@international.gc.ca
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall, 1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A1
info@gg.ca, (613) 993-8200, 800 465-6890
Duncan Mousseau, Director, Policy, Planning and Correspondence
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
DMousseau@GG.CA
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
harpes@parl.gc.ca
Minister of International Cooperation Bev Oda
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
cannol@parl.gc.ca
Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) Peter Kent
125 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G2
(613) 992-0253, kent.p@parl.gc.ca
Gilles Duceppe, leader, Bloc Quebecois
1200 Papineau Av, #350, Montreal, QC, H2K 4R5
ducepg@parl.gc.ca
Jack Layton, leader, New Democratic Party
221 Broadview Ave, Suite 100, Toronto, ON, MM 2G3
laytoj@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May, leader, Green Party
Saanich Gulf Islands EDA, PO Box 20076, Sidney, BC, V8L 5C9
emaytowin@greenparty.ca
Michael Ignatieff, leader, Liberal Party
656 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON, M8Y 1K7
ignatm@parl.gc.ca
Bob Rae, Liberal, Foreign Affairs Critic
(613) 992-5234, RaeB@parl.gc.ca
Francine Lalonde, Bloc Quebecois, Foreign Affairs Critic
(613) 995-6327, LalonF@parl.gc.ca
Paul Dewar, NDP, Foreign Affairs Critic
1306 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 3B2
dewarp@parl.gc.ca, 613-946-8682
Larry Bagnell, Liberal
bagnell.l@parl.gc.ca
Stockwell Day, Conservative
days@parl.gc.ca, 613-995-1702
Peter Julian, NDP International Trade Critic, Rm 178, Confederation Bldg., Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
julian.p@parl.gc.ca
John McKay, Liberal, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
(613) 992-1447, MckayJ@parl.gc.ca, 613-947-4609
Kevin Sorenson, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Room 518, Justice Building, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
(613) 947-4608, SorenK@parl.gc.ca, 613-992-2971
Dean Allison, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairperson, 4994 King Street, Beamsville, Ontario, L0R 1B0
allison.d@parl.gc.ca, 905-995-2772
Marketa Evans, Global corporate responsibility commissioner
Marketa.Evans@international.gc.ca
Barbara Curran, CIDA Director, 200 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, K1A 0G4
819-994-4092, barbara.curran@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Kate Stefanuk, Acting Director (& responsible for Honduras)
kate.stefanuk@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Johanne Dupont, Country Program Manager for Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Cuba
johanne.dupont@acdi-cida.gc.ca
CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT:
http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
CANADIAN Embassy in Guatemala
Ambassador Leeann McKechnie
leeann.mckechnie@international.gc.ca
Karin Reinecke, Assistant to the Ambassador
karin.reinecke@international.gc.ca
Jennifer Chacon, jennifer.chacon@international.gc.ca
13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10, Edificio Edyma Plaza, Ciudad de Guatemala
(502) 2363-4348, 2365-1201, gtmla@international.gc.ca
CANADIAN Embassy in Costa Rica (responsible for Honduras, as well)
Ambassador Neil Reeder
(506) 2242-4400, (506) 2242-4411 – Political, sjcra@international.gc.ca
Honduras Office of the Canadian Embassy
Centro Financiero Banexpo – Tercer Piso
Boulevard San Juan Bosco, Colonia Payaquí
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
(504) 232-4551; tglpa@international.gc.ca
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