Operations effectively halted in July 2008. In April 2017, following the enactment of the Law on the Prohibition of Metallic Mining, OceanaGold (through its subsidiary, Minerales Torogoz) announced that it would exit the country. The OceanaGold website states that project closure procedures were completed on 15 September 2017 and the company withdrew from El Salvador inContinue reading “El Dorado”
Subsoil Municipality Archives
2009 – IACHR grants precautionary measures on behalf of community defenders opposing El Dorado mine
On 7 October, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures to members of the Association Friends of San ISidro (ASIC) and the community Radio Victoria as well as a local priest after they had received threats believed to be in reprisal for their activism in defence of the environment in San IsidroContinue reading “2009 – IACHR grants precautionary measures on behalf of community defenders opposing El Dorado mine”
2014 Salvadoran NGOs submit information to the Universal Periodic Review
In 2014, Salvadoran NGOs submitted independent reports to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review process on El Salvador. Amongst a range of human rights issues, the NGOs highlighted the need for the State to strengthen the protection of the right to water of the population and also highlighted the negative environmental and transborder impacts causedContinue reading “2014 Salvadoran NGOs submit information to the Universal Periodic Review”
2014 Permanent People’s Tribunal Hearing
In June 2014, the Permanent People’s Tribunal held a hearing in Geneva to hear evidence provided by human rights defenders on eight extractive project cases, including El Dorado. The popular tribunal judges heard evidence of the potential impact of the mine on access to water sources and contamination as well as the consequences for agricultureContinue reading “2014 Permanent People’s Tribunal Hearing”
1996-2017 Salvadoran General Mining Laws and Amendments
The current legislative framework for mining operations in El Salvador, including those owned by transnational corporations, began with the enactment of the Mining Law in 1996, four years after the end of a 12-year civil war (OCMAL et al., n.d.). In 2001, this law was amended to, among other things, reduce the level of royalty ratesContinue reading “1996-2017 Salvadoran General Mining Laws and Amendments”
2006 De facto Moratorium on Mining imposed by successive Salvadoran governments
In 2006, the Salvadoran government, led by the traditionally business-friendly party, Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) imposed a “de facto” moratorium on all mineral-related concessions in El Salvador. While not expressed in any formal document or policy, the moratorium was implicit in the fact that the government never granted Pacific Rim Mining Corporation an exploitation concessionContinue reading “2006 De facto Moratorium on Mining imposed by successive Salvadoran governments”
2009-2016 Pacific Rim International Investment Arbitration against El Salvador
In April 2009, Pacific Rim Mining Corporation (“Pacific Rim Corp.”), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pac Rim Cayman LLC (“PRC”, together referred to as “Pacific Rim”), commenced an Arbitration action under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Convention seeking damages of more than US$314 million from El Salvador for unlawfully terminating its rightsContinue reading “2009-2016 Pacific Rim International Investment Arbitration against El Salvador”
2010 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing on the Situation of Environmentalists in Mesoamerica
In October 2010, the International Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) held a hearing, entitled the “Situation of Environmentalists in Mesoamerica”, as part of its 140th Regular Period of Sessions. From El Salvador, the participants included the National Roundtable Against Metallic Mining in El Salvador (Mesa Nacional) and the Commitee in Solidarity with the People ofContinue reading “2010 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearing on the Situation of Environmentalists in Mesoamerica”
2006- Popular Law Drafting and Legislative Activities on the Right to Water
In El Salvador, the right to water and legislative initiatives protecting that right are closely linked to the socio-environmental and political struggle around metallic mining. For instance, in 2006 (the same year that a popular draft law to ban metallic mining was first proposed), a General Water Law was drafted by a group of aboutContinue reading “2006- Popular Law Drafting and Legislative Activities on the Right to Water”
2006-2017 The Mesa Nacional drafts and proposes Legislative Bans on Metallic Mining
The National Roundtable against Metallic Mining in El Salvador (Mesa Nacional) has been the driving force behind popular law-drafting efforts around the issue of metallic mining and its relation to human and environmental rights. The Mesa Nacional is an umbrella organization that began in 2005 in an effort to bring together social, environmental, and religious organizationsContinue reading “2006-2017 The Mesa Nacional drafts and proposes Legislative Bans on Metallic Mining”
