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2014 Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal hearing on Canadian mining in Latin America

In December 2014, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal released its verdict on hearings held over four days in May/June 2014 into Canadian mining in Latin America. With respect to the Escobal mine, the Tribunal found that Tahoe Resources Inc. and its subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, violated the rights of communities affected by the mine in Santa Rosa and Jalapa departments.

Two witnesses from the Committee in Defence of Life and Peace of San Rafael Las Flores presented evidence to the Tribunal of the “violence, repression and criminalisation committed against individuals opposed to the mine” as well as the failure to recognise Xinka community organised consultations rejecting the mine. The Tribunal issued a series of recommendations to the companies and the host governments of Guatemala and Canada to respect the rights to self-determination of the Xinka people and end the abuses against those opposing the mine. Neither the companies nor the host governments responded to the verdict and recommendations of the Permanent People’s Tribunal

Type of Action / Tipo de Acción:
Popular Tribunal Proceedings
Extractive Project / Proyecto extractivo:
Region / Región:
Central America
Country / País:
Honduras
Natural Resource / Recurso natural:
Gold
Jurisdiction / Jurisdicción:
Permanent Peoples Tribunal
Category of Key Actors in Legal Action / Categoría de actores claves en la Acción Legal:
Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations
Human Rights Violated/Claimed:
Right to defend rights, Right to self-determination, Right to consultation, Right to free, prior and informed consent, Right to safety and personal integrity
Key Legal Actors Involved / Actores jurídicos clave involucrados:
Honduran Centre for the Promotion of Community Development (CEHPRODEC), Oxfam America, The Quebec Network of Environmental Groups (RSGE), Siria Valley Environmental Committee (CAVS)
Year Action Started / Año de inicio:
2014
References / Referencias:

L’Entraide Missionaire and Le Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique Latine (CDHAL), Myths and Realities of the Canadian Mining Industry, dated July 2016, online: http://tpp.cdhal.org/wp-content/uploads/Myths_EN_web.pdf, accessed on 8 December 2020.

Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal Session on the Canadian Mining Industry (2014-2016), Hearing on Latin America, held in Montreal, Canada, 29 May – 1 June 2014 , Ruling, dated December 2014, online: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/polarisinstitute/pages/31/attachments/original/1418839584/Ruling-PPT_CanadaFINAL.pdf?1418839584, accessed on 8 December 2020.

Polaris Institute, “Ruling for the Latin American hearing of the PPT on Canadian”, dated 10 December 2014, online: https://www.polarisinstitute.org/ruling_for_the_latin_american_hearing_of_the_ppt_on_canadian_mining, accessed on 8 December 2020.