Regional News

“Latin American Countries exposed to law suits from transnational comporations: Manuel Pérez Rocha

Gloria Silvia Orellana - Diario CoLatino

perez rocha articleManuel Pérez Rocha, fellow from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), participated in the Regional Meeting of the Central American Alliance Against Mining. His talk focused on the advances of corporate rights, which through legal instruments such as free trade and investments agreements are strengthening the power of multinational corporations – TNCs, and undermining the sovereignty of the countries of Latin America."There is currently a strong debate about agreements that give TNCs what is left of our public services. These agreements have been negotiated by many Latin American countries", he said.

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Central Americans Demand to be Consulted About Mining Projects

Edgardo Ayala - IPS News

(IMAGE) Residents of the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores maintain a permanent sit-down in front of the Constitutional Court, in the centre of Guatemala’s capital, to demand that the country's highest court rule on the demand for a suspension of the San Rafael mining company's permit to operate a mine in that municipality. Credit: Edgardo Ayala / IPS

GUATEMALA CITY, May 4 2018 (IPS) - Rosa Dávila is busy cooking ears of corn, to be eaten by the men and women who have set up a checkpoint on the side of the road to block the passage of supplies sent to a mining company that operates in the area.

The San Rafael mining company, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Tahoe Resources, is located on the outskirts of San Rafael Las Flores, a town 96 km southeast of Guatemala City, in the department of Santa Rosa.

The roadblock has been mounted by the inhabitants of Casillas, a neighbouring rural municipality, located a few kilometres down the road, and which cannot be avoided on the way to the mine. Other transit points have also been blocked by the “resistance”, as the anti-mining protesters refer to themselves.

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