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Category: Pacific Rim/OceanaGold
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Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 18:01
Press release:
On September 15, 2016 an ICSID Tribunal closed the arbitration proceedings in the case that Pacific Rim/OceanaGold began on June 15, 2009 (over 7 years ago) against the government of El Salvador. During this time the government has spent more than US$13 million in legal costs in a suit where the company attempts to obtain more than US$300 million in compensation for not been allowed to harm the environment and the health of the inhabitants of El Salvador.
The next step in the proceedings is for the tribunal to issue an award, which may be released in the short term, may also be known within 6 months, and chances are that it may take an indefinite amount of time.
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Category: Mining and Human Rights
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Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 17:37
Press release
The Water Forum denounces secret negotiation of the General Water Law between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economy and ANEP
In 2006 the Water Forum delivered the first proposal for a "General Water Law" to the Legislative Assembly, yet our country still does not have a regulatory framework governing the different uses of water.
In October 2015, the Water Forum met with the President Salvador Sanchez Ceren and part of his Cabinet, to obtain the position of the Executive government regarding the General Water Law. At that meeting, it was stated that there was no negotiation with the private sector and it was denied that a new water bill was being planned.
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Category: Pacific Rim/OceanaGold
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Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 17:20
Leon Dulce: IPCM
The 2016 World Social Forum recently held in Montreal, Canada became an important opportunity to develop an important global undertaking: the forging of an international people's campaign to hold accountable the global harm aggressively spurred by Australian-Canadian mining giant OceanaGold.
Member organizations of the International People’s Conference on Mining led the initiative at the WSF through a discussion-workshop on building global strategies addressing Canadian mining impacts across the world, focusing on the case of OceanaGold.
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Category: Pacific Rim/OceanaGold
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Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 15:50
Editorial: CoLatino
It is expected that in the coming days or weeks, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) will issued its ruling on the request for Pacific Rim-Oceana Gold against the Salvadoran State. The publication of the ruling was delayed because late transnational mining company tried in vain a negotiated settlement with the Salvadoran government.
Canadian company Pacific Rim, later acquired by Australia's OceanaGold, sued El Salvador for $300 million as compensation for not allowing the exploitation the El Dorado mine in San Isidro, Cabañas.
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Category: Pacific Rim/OceanaGold
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Published: Monday, 26 September 2016 15:10
Jose Mejia | Transparecia Activa
Luis Parada, the attorney representing the Salvadoran State in the international litigation initiated by Pacific Rim/Oceana Gold, explained that before an adverse ruling, the company tried to delay the resolution of the award and evaluate whether the government could negotiate the resolution to avoid losing its claim to $300 million in compensation.
Parada said that although it had been announced that the award (ruling) could be ready in in late August, he has now says been told that it is likely to be until mid-September and, if favorable, would be a symbolic achievement.
He added that on Monday, August 22 the Tribunal of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), based in Washington under the jurisdiction of the Word Bank, officially communicated with the two parties involved in the dispute to let them know that "the award was still being translated but that was in the final stage, in the review of the translation. There, it was suggested that mid-September was expected resolution ".
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Category: Mining and Human Rights
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Published: Saturday, 17 September 2016 14:23
During his usual Sunday press conference on April 24th, the Archbishop of San Salvador, José Luis Escobar Alas, called once again on society to remain vigilant and prevent mining in El Salvador. He similarly called policy makers to not allow this economic activity in the country.
Click on the image to see the video
TRANSCRIPTION AND TRANSLATION BELOW:
“Mining is a very serious, very damaging problem. Hopefully mining will not take place in our country, because open pit mining can cause so much damage.”
As cyanide is released into the environment, it breakdown into cyanates which are always absolutely lethal, they will pollute our aquifers. We are already threatened with the Cerro Blanco mine in Guatemala, if it becomes exploited it will contaminate Lake Güija and by extension the Lempa river would also be contaminated.”
“I call upon society to remain vigilant to prevent mining in our country because it will cause a lot of damage to people, animals and plants. It is not fair that this country so small and densely populated has to suffer the serious problem of environmental pollution because of cyanide.”
“And of course, the call also goes to the authorities of our country and the members of the legislative assembly not to allow that, for the sake of our country. We can see that it is the exploitation of a transnational foreign corporations that ultimately leaves very little to our country but it will harm it greatly.”
“It is not possible to conceive that anyone who loves El Salvador could be in favor of mining.”
