Guatemala: Open pit mining project threatens subsistence basis of indigenous communities; Repression of human rights defenders, San Marcos

In 2003, the Government of Guatemala granted a mining licence for an open pit gold mine on indigenous land in the Department of San Marcos, Sipakapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacán municipalities, to the Canadian Glamis Gold Ltd. Company. Representatives of these indigenous communities as well as environmental and human rights organisations demanded the immediate derogation of this licence for the so called “Marlin Project”, as the inhabitants had not been appropriately been informed nor consulted about the planned extraction. The indigenous fear the contamination of the land and of their water sources due to the use of cyanide, and the loss of access to water because of the huge  consumption by the mine, which threatens their rights to food and water. The repression of the communities opposing this gold mine culminated on January 11, 2005, when police forces assassinated one of the locals and injured various persons who blocked the passing of heavy machinery of the company. Shortly after, an assassination plot against the renowned protester of the mining project and human rights defender, Bishop Mons. Alvaro Ramazzini , became to be known.