Operations suspended pending completion of consultations with affected Xinka indigenous communities, as per Constitutional Court decision released in September 2018.
Subsoil Municipality Archives
2011– Criminalization of community leaders opposed to Escobal mine
In 2011, as opposition to the Escobal mine began to develop in local communities, there were peaceful protests against mining-related construction work. This resulted in a series of unsubstantiated charges being levelled against opposition leaders, including members of the newly formed, Committee in Defence of Life and Peace of San Rafael Las Flores, as wellContinue reading “2011– Criminalization of community leaders opposed to Escobal mine”
2010– Petition filed to oppose approval of Environmental Impact Assessment
In December 2010, the Committee in Defence of Life and Peace of San Rafael Las Flores and Colectivo Madreselva presented a petition of opposition to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) to oppose the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted by Tahoe and Minera San Rafael to obtain an exploitation licenceContinue reading “2010– Petition filed to oppose approval of Environmental Impact Assessment”
2019- IACHR issues precautionary measures on behalf of Xinka Parliament lawyer
In July 2019, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued precautionary measures on behalf of a prominent indigenous lawyer working with the Xinka Parliament. The lawyer had received a series of anonymous death threats, particularly after the public complaint by the Xinka Parliament against the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the MinistryContinue reading “2019- IACHR issues precautionary measures on behalf of Xinka Parliament lawyer”
2021 Civil action by local families against Escobal mining licence
On 15 July 2021, the families that co-own the small landholding known as “El Salitre” in the community of Aldea los Planes, in the municipality of San Rafael las Flores, filed three administrative legal actions opposing the Escobal mine exploitation licence. The families were calling for the licence to be rescinded by the Ministry ofContinue reading “2021 Civil action by local families against Escobal mining licence”
2020- Guatemalan Government and the Xinka Parliament initiate pre-consultation over Escobal
In February 2020, the Xinka Parliament and the Guatemalan Ministry of Energy and Mines restarted dialogue on the conditions necessary to fufill the Constitutional Court ruling on the requirement to conduct a consultation process with the Xinka people affected by the Escobal mine (see Legal Action entitled, “2017- Judicial Suspension of Tahoe’s Mining Licences“). In October, afterContinue reading “2020- Guatemalan Government and the Xinka Parliament initiate pre-consultation over Escobal”
2013- Criminal prosecution of Former Head of Security and other security guards at Escobal mine and compensation claim against Tahoe Resources
In May 2013, the former head of security for Escobal mine, Alberto Rotondo, was placed under house arrest in connection with criminal charges linking him to “an April [2013] shooting that left six injured outside Tahoe Resources’ mine in southeastern Guatemala (MiningWatch Canada, 2017). The charges included assault, aggravated assault, and obstruction justice. No chargesContinue reading “2013- Criminal prosecution of Former Head of Security and other security guards at Escobal mine and compensation claim against Tahoe Resources”
2013 Injunction filed against granting of Escobal exploitation licence
In April 2013, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) granted Tahoe Resources, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, mining licences in relation to the Escobal mining project. Members of the Xinka indigenous community, as well as other affected residents, had opposed the company’s application for mining licences since November 2010. In 2012 and 2013, moreContinue reading “2013 Injunction filed against granting of Escobal exploitation licence”
2017- Judicial Suspension of Tahoe’s Mining Licences
On 5 July 2017, Guatemala’s Supreme Court of Justice temporarily suspended two of Tahoe Resources Inc.’s mining licences pending resolution of a constitutional challenge (amparo) filed against the Ministry of Energy and Mines for discrimination and lack of consultation with indigenous Xinka communities prior to issuing the mining licences for the El Escobal mining projectContinue reading “2017- Judicial Suspension of Tahoe’s Mining Licences”
2013 State of Siege and Criminalization of Protestors and Community Leaders
In May 2013, the government of Guatemala declared a temporary “state of siege”, deploying 8,500 police and soldiers in the municipality of San Rafael Las Flores (where Escobal is located) and the surrounding municipalities of Mataquescuintla, Casillas, and Jalapa, each of which voted against mining in community consultations (consultas). The state of siege followed theContinue reading “2013 State of Siege and Criminalization of Protestors and Community Leaders”
