Call-In Day TODAY: TELL PACIFIC RIM TO DROP ITS DISGRACEFUL LAWSUIT AGAINST EL SALVADOR!!!

Wed Dec 9 10:30:37 EST 2009

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ACTION ALERT

Monthly Call-In Day TODAY

December 9, 2009

JOIN HUNDREDS ACROSS THE U.S. AND CANADA:  

TELL PACIFIC RIM TO DROP ITS DISGRACEFUL LAWSUIT AGAINST EL SALVADOR!!!

Help us reach our national goal of 200 calls by picking up the phone today
to tell Pacific Rim - the Canadian gold mining firm - that we will not stay
silent while the company uses the U.S.  Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA-DR) to extort El Salvador. 

Over 100 people have already pledged to call in today for the first Pacific
Rim Monthly Call-In Day!  

In the department of Cabañas, El Salvador, communities have been protesting
against a proposed gold mining project by Pacific Rim. Their concern? That
cyanide used to extract gold would poison El Salvador’s largest river, the
primary source of drinking water for millions in the country. Their protests
were strong enough to shut down the El Dorado gold mining site.  In 2007,
the Ministry of Environment denied Pacific Rim’s permit to drill for gold.

Having been cornered by the formidable community resistance, the company is
now suing the Salvadoran government for $77 million in “lost profit” (read
more about the Pacific Rim lawsuit
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=496&Itemid=
28> ), How can they do this?!  CAFTA protects the “rights” of corporations
over national laws that safeguard workers and the environment. Chapter 10 of
the agreement gives private foreign investors the “right” to sue for “profit
infringement” and extort millions of dollars from governments like El
Salvador.  

Even more worrisome, the communities in resistance to the El Dorado mine
have been plagued by political
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=620&Itemid=
27>  violence, death threats and kidnappings.

During CISPES’ October Week of Action to kick-off the Stop the Suits!
campaign, we flooded the CEO of Pacific Rim’s phone line with hundreds of
calls.  Activists from the Pacific Northwest converged on Vancouver, British
Columbia, bringing the message of the Salvadoran anti-mining movement to
Pacific Rim’s swank corporate office.  

Just last week, the Salvadoran mining resistance amped up its efforts to
expose Pacific Rim’s mining disgraceful plans with a sophisticated,
nation-wide advertising campaign to inform the country about the lawsuit and
harmful impacts of metallic mining.

We must make sure Pacific Rim knows we haven’t forgotten its reprehensible
actions—especially now, a month after the terrible destruction of Hurricane
Ida, which left $343 million in damages.  As the country began its
reconstruction efforts with the drained coffers inherited from past
governments, Pacific Rim had the nerve to donate hurricane relief funds
while actively suing the Salvadoran government for at least $77 million!

Today CISPES is kicking off our Monthly Call-In Days to CEO Thomas Shrake to
demand Pacific Rim drop its outrageous lawsuit—join in and make your call
today!  

CALL Pacific Rim Headquarters today -- from the U.S. 1- (888) 775-7097 or
from Canada (604) 689-1976 -- and leave a message with the corporate
secretary (see call script below).  

You can also email CEO Thomas Shrake directly.

After you make your call, send an email to cispes at cispes.org to let us know
if you got any response and to help us keep better track of how many calls.
Also, keep an eye out for action alerts for the future call in days in the
coming months!

Use the following script to contact Thomas Shrake, CEO and President of
Pacific Rim:

To call from the U.S. dial 1- (888) 775-7097, or from Canada (604) 689-1976,
then leave a message for the corporate secretary:

1. Hello, I am calling to urge President and CEO Thomas Shrake and the Board
of Pacific Rim, to drop the lawsuit you filed against the government of El
Salvador.  Local and national civic organizations have been actively
opposing the El Dorado mine since 2004.  Salvadoran environmentalists,
economists and social movement leaders have roundly rejected the mine, and
now this outrageous lawsuit, on a number of grounds. 

2. Choose 1 or 2 of the following points.

       * Environmental: Salvadoran community activists and environmental
organizations have consistently denounced the devastating environmental
impacts that would result from the El Dorado mine. The mine would
contaminate the river that serves as the primary source of drinking water
for the majority of Salvadorans and use over 10,000 gallons of water a day.
All this in a country where 30% of the rural population lacks access to
potable water.

       * Trade justice: The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA),
the basis for Pacific Rim’s lawsuit, was widely opposed throughout the U.S.
and Central America. Citizen advocacy groups in El Salvador charge that
CAFTA is unconstitutional and have brought the case before their Supreme
Court.  As CAFTA’s legitimacy itself is in question, Pacific Rim’s lawsuit
appears even more bogus.

       * Economic: According to economic experts, the mine provides no
long-term economic benefit for El Salvador, only for Pacific Rim. The gold
mining industry contributes only 0.04% to El Salvador’s GDP while foreign
companies like Pacific Rim plan to take away millions in profit.

       * Human rights: I have heard first-hand accounts of horrible
political violence against community members in Cabañas who have actively
opposed the El Dorado mine. Even if Pacific Rim did not directly instigate
this violence, the murder of Marcelo Rivera, and the attempted
assassinations of Father Luis Quintanilla and Ramiro Rivera are undoubtedly
a result of Pacific Rim’s presence. The fact that people are risking their
lives to fight against El Dorado shows just how unwelcome gold mines are and
how disgraceful this lawsuit is.

       * Sovereignty: This lawsuit infringes upon the rights of sovereign
governments to protect the interests of their people as they see fit.  Each
country has the right to determine how its land is used, as well as the fate
of its natural resources. Your lawsuit tramples on those rights. 

3. It is shameful that Mr. Shrake is willing to wreak profound economic
damage on an entire nation, for the financial gain of his
company—particularly now following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida,
a time when the country is in great need of resources for reconstruction
efforts expected to cost over $300 million.  These lawsuits will hit the
poorest people in El Salvador the hardest. If Mr. Shrake has his way,
much-needed funding for post-hurricane reconstruction and social programs
like health care, food and housing will go directly into the pockets of your
shareholders.

For these reasons, I again urge you to withdraw the disgraceful lawsuit that
Pacific Rim has filed against El Salvador.

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© 2008 CISPES - The Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
CISPES National Office | ph. 202-521-2510 | 1525 Newton St. NW, Wash. DC
20010| cispes at cispes.org

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