[CISPES-Alert] There's Still Time to Tell Pacific Rim to Drop the $77 Million Lawsuit Against El Salvador - Take Action Today!

CISPES National Office cispes at cispes.org
Thu Oct 15 13:51:13 EDT 2009


/*Dear Friends,*/
/**/ 
*/Hundreds of people have already made calls to Pacific Rim Mining 
Company this week as part of the International Week of Action against 
NAFTA and CAFTA!  Let's keep the pressure on -- there's still time to 
call or email CEO Thomas Shrake to give him a piece of your mind: that 
Pacific Rim should respect the will of the Salvadoran people by 
withdrawing its disgraceful lawsuit and closing the environmentally 
destructive El Dorado mine. /*  */Support members of the Salvadoran 
National Anti-Mining Round Table who are visiting the US and Canada this 
week to build solidarity for their campaign!  Make the call to Pacific 
Rim today!  Read on for more details.  /*
/**/ 
/*Venceremos!*/
/*CISPES National Office*/
 

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**

	

**

*Action Alert*

October  14 , 2009

*/Tell Pacific Rim to Drop the $77 Million Lawsuit Against El Salvador!/*//

In the department of Cabañas, El Salvador, communities have been 
protesting against a proposed gold mining project by Pacific Rim, a 
Canadian mining company. 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 start drilling 
for gold. 

But Pacific Rim is not listening. Instead, the company is suing the 
Salvadoran government for $77 million for "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?!  The U.S. Central American Free Trade Agreement 
(CAFTA) protects the "rights" of corporations over national laws that 
safeguard workers and the environment. Chapter 10 of CAFTA gives private 
foreign investors the "right" to sue for "profit infringement" and 
extort millions of dollars from governments like El Salvador.

Since the U.S. Congress voted to approve CAFTA in 2005---by a mere two 
votes---the cross-border resistance has continued. The Salvadoran people 
have successfully mobilized to block the privatization of health care 
and water and other policies tied to this "free" trade agreement.

But death squad violence in El Salvador has resurfaced since the passing 
of CAFTA, specifically targeting trade unionists, resource rights 
activists and members of the left political party, the FMLN (Farabundo 
Martí Front for National Liberation). In June 2009, the anti-mining 
struggle turned deadly when outspoken community leader Marcelo Rivera 
was tortured and killed 
<http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=610&Itemid=28>. 
The right-wing Attorney General has refused to investigate this as a 
political assassination, or to investigate numerous death threats, 
kidnapping and assassination attempts in Cabañas. 

Pacific Rim's lawsuit could devastate El Salvador's economy, taking 
state funds out of necessary social programs like farming, health care 
and education and putting it in the pockets of corporate shareholders in 
North America. */Call CEO Thomas Shrake and demand that Pacific Rim 
withdraw its lawsuit and respect the will of the Salvadoran people by 
closing the mines!/ *

**

*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 on back of page)/*/./ 

/You can also email CEO Thomas Shrake directly:  tomshrake at usa.net/
<javascript:top.opencompose('tomshrake at usa.net','','','')>

*//*

 For more information on local actions and the anti-mining struggle, 
please visit www.cispes.org <http://www.cispes.org>: 

*//*

    * Find out about actions happening this week
      <http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=631&Itemid=1>in
      U.S. and Canadian cities near you
    * Check out recent CISPES Updates
      <http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=35&Itemid=28>
      and Action Alerts
      <http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=620&Itemid=27>

    * Read the CISPES lawsuit info-sheet "CAFTA's Golden SWINDLE" 
      <http://www.cispes.org/documents/mining_infosheet.pdf> 
      <http://www.cispes.org/documents/mining_infosheet.pdf>

*//*

*/-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/*

*//*

*//*
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. These 
lawsuits will hit the poorest people in El Salvador the hardest. If Mr. 
Shrake has his way, much-needed funding for 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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© 2009 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 <mailto:cispes at cispes.org>

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