by Gloria Orellana

Translated from: http://nuevaweb.diariocolatino.com/resistencia-ciudadana-contra-la-mineria-metalica-en-el-pais/

"We are here on this date to join millions of voices around the world in protest the mega mining projects" stated Vidalina Morales commemorating the international fight against transnational mining which causes misery and environmental pollution.

The theme of year's International Day was "Against Mega Mining and in Defence of Life and Water", a day that commemorated around the world to advocate for a world free of toxic chemicals causing the destruction of ecosystems, biological corridors and forests.

 

Vidalina Morales, representative of communities in the municipality of San Isidro, Cabañas and a member of the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining said her communities will not allow the company OceanaGold to continues to threaten their lives with its project.

"We raise our voice also and join in rejection of these projects that threaten the life, dignity and sovereignty of the peoples; We are going to continue in strength and will not allow this project in our territory, "he said.

Meanwhile, Bernardo Belloso explained that the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining continues to denounce and demand that authorities and civil society become aware of the urgent needs to create a law that prohibits the extraction of metals in El Salvador.

"Mega mining generates high impact on the environment and the country already has experienced these consequences as the San Sebastian in Santa Rosa de Lima, La Union, has killed the river running through the mining project," he said.  He also recalled the murders of environmentalists Marcelo Rivera, Dora Sorto, Ramiro Rivera and Francisco Durán, from Sensuntepeque, Cabañas, who opposed the exploration and mining. "Mining multinationals such as Pacific Rim/OceanaGold have sought  to plunder the wealth of our people and maintain a lawsuit against the Salvadoran government for not allowing the pollution of our water, our land and our air," he said.

On the dispute kept the Salvadoran State and Pacific Rim / OceanaGold at ICSID, Pedro Cabezas, fomr the International Allies against Mining in El Salvador, said it is a long process that will be decided on legal technicalities and full of appeals that might last a few years. "The important thing is that communities and organizations maintain social pressure, so that the government is not allowed the option to extend licences to the mining companies; the more social pressure to stop the potential damage of mining the better the chances to save the country from further deterioration, "he said.

The National Roundtable against Mining (MNFM) reiterated the call for the Commission on Environment and Climate Change in the Legislative Assembly to resume discussion on approving a Law on the Prohibition of Mining, presented in 2013.