Archive for category Action Alerts

International Call-in Day

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Tell Pacific Rim Mining to drop its lawsuit against the Salvadoran government!

After community organizing efforts successfully persuaded the Salvadoran government to block Pacific Rim’s gold mining permits, the company filed a lawsuit against the government under the rules of CAFTA, the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Legal proceedings in the case are set to begin in the coming weeks.

El Salvador’s environmental movement has called for international pressure on Pacific Rim Mining, demanding that the company drop its lawsuit and respect the sovereign right of El Salvador to protect its own environment and public health by putting the brakes on metallic mining.

__________________________________________

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
Call Barbara Henderson, Vice President of Investor Relations at Pacific Rim Mining in Vancouver, Canada.
To call from the U.S., dial 1-888-775-7097, then press 1.
DEMAND THAT PACIFIC RIM DROP THE LAWSUIT. CALL SCRIPT IS BELOW.

__________________________________________

Read the rest of this entry »

EMERGENCY UPDATE AND ACTION ALERT

Ramiro Rivera Gómez, vice-president of CAC (Comité Ambiental de Cabañas/ the Environmental Committee of Cabañas) and a local leader in the community struggle against the environmentally-destructive gold mining projects proposed by the North American mining company Pacific Rim, was assassinated on Sunday, December 20, in the Trinidad neighborhood of Ilobasco, in the department of Cabañas where he lived.

Héctor Berríos reports that Ramiro Rivera was killed by hitmen carrying M-16 rifles. Ramiro’s thirteen-year old daughter who was with him on Sunday afternoon was also injured but is reportedly in stable condition.

On August 7 of this year, Ramiro Rivera was shot 8 times, but survived the vicious attack. Oscar Menjívar, previously implicated in physical attacks on anti-mining activists, was arrested and charged with Ramiro’s attempted murder. Community members report that Menjívar had previously worked for Canadian mining company Pacific Rim. Pacific Rim denies that he has ever been an employee.

Since his recovery, Mr. Rivera had been under the protection of two police officers from the Witnesses and Victims Protection Unit of the National Civilian Police. On the afternoon of December 20th, they were apparently unable to protect him.

Read the rest of this entry »

EL SALVADOR DEVASTATED BY HURRICANE IDA
DONATE TO DISASTER RELIEF TODAY

Hurricane Ida hit El Salvador on Saturday, November 7, devastating the country, especially the capital of San Salvador and the departments of San Vicente and Cuscatlán. Though 13,000 families were evacuated, there are already 150 deaths reported as a result of landslides and massive flooding. Hundreds of homes have been completely destroyed and thousands more damaged.

Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes has called on the international community to support the rescue and disaster relief efforts. Brazil and Guatemala have been the first to respond, followed by Cuba, Japan, Panama, and Venezuela, as well as the European Union and the United Nations.

Hugo Martinez, Minster of Foreign Relations, stated, “The Salvadoran people are not alone. We have had the voice of solidarity from various countries in the world … and this help will be immediately channeled.”

Please help by making a donation today!

CISPES will send donations to community organizations working on relief and reconstruction efforts in El Salvador. ¡Muchas gracias!