Clodoveo Rodriguez, better known as Don Clodo in his native San Rafael Las Flores, Santa Rosa, has lived his 78 years in the arid community. Since late 2011, his home has literally been fenced-in by the neighboring Escobal silver mine, a joint venture by Tahoe Resources and Goldcorp. Despite pressure from the Canadian mining companies to sell, Don Clodo refuses to leave his land. Kevin McArthur, former president of Goldcorp, founded Tahoe Resources in 2010.

Escobal Mine: Tahoe and Goldcorp, hand in hand

Primarily a silver mine, Escobal’s majority shares are owned by Tahoe Resources. The exploration license was given to Goldcorp in 2007 at a time when Kevin McArthur still ran Goldcorp as President and CEO. McArthur retired from Goldcorp towards the end of 2008, but founded Tahoe Resources in 2010. That same year, Tahoe paid Goldcorp US $505 million dollars for 60 percent of the shares to the Escobal project, leaving Goldcorp as the minority owner with 40 percent of the shares. (1)

The relationship between Tahoe Resources and Goldcorp can only be described as an intimate one. Besides the obvious link involving McArthur, Tahoe’s board of directors includes Dan Rovig and Kenneth F. Williamson, individuals who also sit in Goldcorp’s board. (2,3)

Escobal, Tahoe’s only project, is managed in Guatemala via its local subsidiary, San Rafael S.A. Currently, Escobal is under construction but expected to be in production by late 2013 and to achieve commercial production by 2014. (4)

Criminalizing the Resistance: A Goldcorp Trademark

In September 2010, during a presentation at the Denver Gold Conference, McArthur stated: “The Escobal project is in a region that is receptive to the mining industry… We are not in the Guatemalan Mayan highlands; we are down in the southeast portion of the country. We will not have the indigenous issues that [Goldcorp’s] Marlin [mine has had in San Miguel Ixtahuacan and Sipacapa] and some of the other mines in the country have had.” (5)

Nevertheless, reality on the ground is much different than what McArthur claims. Three adjacent municipalities to San Rafael Las Flores have carried out community consultations in the past few months, overwhelmingly rejecting mining activities in their communities.

Oscar Morales, vice-president of the Commission in Charge of the Community Consultation regarding Mining Activities in San Rafael Las Flores, assures us the population in the municipality is divided with respects to the issue. Some undoubtedly do benefit from jobs, but the majority is fearful of contamination in a region that lives off agriculture and livestock.

One of the principal worries in the region, reaching far beyond San Rafael Las Flores’ municipal borders, is the possible contamination of the Ayarza Lagoon. The great volcanic body of water, similar in formation to well-known Lake Atitlan, is located 2.5 kilometers downstream from the Escobal project. Members of the Local Committee in Defense of Life claim that a recent study detected a thin layer of rock barely 200 meters thick that divides underground aquifers from the lagoon.

Unfortunately, contamination of the underground water reserves is relatively common due to acid drainage that will undoubtedly be produced by the mining project and filter through the bedrock. In addition, an accidental cyanide spill or a breach in the tailings pond would easily contaminate not only the aquifers, but also the Ayarza Lagoon.

Tahoe Resources and Goldcorp’s partnership clearly reaches far beyond their business ventures as they also apply similar strategies to intimidate those who oppose their mining projects. Just as Goldcorp has filed criminal charges against roughly 20 local activists from San Miguel Ixtahuacan, Tahoe has attempted to silence local leaders in San Rafael Las Flores through the same tactics.

Amadeo de Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar, leading member of the Local Committee in Defense of Life, has been accused by Tahoe Resources of kidnapping members of the company’s security personnel. Rodriguez Aguilar, who discredits the charge as “absurd”, claims the accusation stems from an October 2011 incident where he peacefully interrupted a meeting involving visiting shareholders from North America. “Since I speak English well, I just wanted to meet with these shareholders and inform them of the issues that are important to us here in the community. And just because of that, I have been charged with kidnapping!”

Father Nestor Melgar from the local Catholic Church has also been the target of incriminations. A reliable source from San Rafael Las Flores who prefers to remain anonymous has recently informed MiMundo.org that “a woman sponsored by the mining company has filed legal charges against Father Nestor. The accusation stems from his declarations through his sermons against the mining project.” (6)

Panorama of San Rafael Las Flores: Escobal mine to the left and the main town to the right.

Don Clodo: Symbol of Resistance

“The only thing I have left is this plot of land I inherited from my family… and my cows,” states Don Clodo. Here, in the Los Planes Hamlet, Don Clodo is the last one left as he refuses to sell his land to Tahoe Resources. The Canadian company has literally fenced him in by setting up a chain-link fence around his home. The only way in and out is through a narrow walkway between fences and constant machinery at work.

This image shows Don Clodo’s home, the white rectangular structure on the lower left, and his landholding: the green polygon shows the fenced-in block-and-a-half of cornfields he inherited from his parents. Barely 50 meters from his home, a tailings pond (the black rectangular pool-like structure in the mid-left part of the image) will serve as an artificial lagoon containing highly toxic waste products.

Despite the difficulties, Don Clodo maintains his daily routine: each morning, at dawn, he walks his dozen cows out to graze past the town center, roughly 2 kilometers away from his home.

He returns home to feed his cows after stopping for lunch at his son’s home, place where his wife has moved to permanently due to the unbearable noise in their home.

Don Clodo watches as his cow Mariposa, or Butterfly, feeds.

Don Clodo’s health has seriously deteriorated in recent months due to constant dust and the incessant noise. He suffers from a chronic cough and acute conjunctivitis in his eyes. Plus, he has a hard time sleeping at night as the construction of the mine goes on day and night.

“The mining company’s environmental impact report, approved by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, included Rodriguez’s land plot even though the mining company is not the rightful owner of this land. In addition, the polygon is included in the exploitation license and the report claims there is no one living within 500 meters of the mine even though Rodriguez lives roughly 10 meters from the company’s fence.” (7)

Despite the situation, the youthful septuagenarian assures the company will have his lands “only over his dead body!”

This past January, over 400 community members blocked the entrance to the mining project in protest to the industrial activities. (8)  Nevertheless, Kevin McArthur insists there are no conflicts in San Rafael Las Flores and continues to brag that Escobal will prove to be “a cash flow machine.” (9)

For more information on Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine, please view these photo essays.

This photo essay was made possible with the support of Madre Selva and Amnesty International Canada’s Business and Human Rights Program.

Version en español aquí.

1 Buow, Brenda. “Kevin McArthur has mining in his blood“.  The Globe and Mail. June 16, 2010.
(http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/kevin-mcarthur-has-mining-in-his-blood/article1606820/page2/)
2 http://goldcorp.com/About-Us/Board/default.aspx
3 http://www.tahoeresourcesinc.com/company-information/board-of-directors/
4 Luy, Jordan. “Tahoe Resources Inc.: Former Goldcorp CEO looks to leverage past success into new silver company”.
(http://www.tmxmoney.com/en/news/interviews/sept12_2011_THO.html)
5 http://goldcorpoutnews.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/two-municipalities-of-santa-rosa-say-no-to-tahoe-resources-and-metal-mining/
6 Email to MiMundo.org from contact in San Rafael Las Flores who would rather remain anonymous. April 24, 2012.
7 http://prensalibre.com/noticias/justicia/CLODOVEO_0_661733827.html
8 http://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/Bloquean-via-minera_0_623337691.html?print=1
9 Kosich, Dorothy. “McArthur, Tahoe Resources have eyes only for Escobal and silver.” Mineweb.com. Septemeber 21, 2011.
(http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page66?oid=135860&sn=Detail&pid=102055)

The Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala (PAQG) presents a MiMundo.org photo exhibit:

Mines to the South, Gas to the North: Same Dispossession?

Several Locations throughout Montreal.
From March 2012 to January 2013.

For all exhibit dates and venues visit the PAQG page

Cover photograph for “Central America: Legacies of War” issue. NACLA Report on the Americas, Spring 2012.

After 9 days and 212 kilometers, the Indigenous, Campesino and Popular March for the defense of Mother Earth, against evictions, criminalization, and in favor of Integrated Rural Development, arrived to the center of the Capital City. According to members of the Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC), it is estimated that about 15,000 people participated in the ninth and final day of the march.

The movement leaders have issued a press statement, “Declaration of the March for Resistance and Dignity, in Defense of the Earth and Territory”  in which they have made the following demands– reiterations of longstanding grievances of the Indigenous and campesinos in Guatemala:

• Elimination of agrarian debt imposed by the state on farmers; a just redistribution of land, allowing farmers at least a terrain to provide subsistence crops.

• Termination of forced relocations, in particular the ongoing problem in the Polochic Vally, Alta Verapaz, where hundreds of families were violently evicted from their homes to make way for African palm and sugar plantations in March of 2011.

• End to persecution and criminalization of Indigenous people fighting for their rights, including the 8 Indigenous women of San Miguel Ixtahuacán who have orders for capture for speaking out against the Marlin Mine.

• Cancellation of the concessions for mining, petroleum, hydroelectric, and mono-culture agriculture.

• Approval of the bills in Congress benefiting poor and Indigenous communities, including Bill 4087, the Law for Community Media, that would legalize community radio.

Version en español aquí.

According to Roman Catholic tradition, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared for the fourth and last time to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on December 12th, 1531, on the Tepeyac Hill in modern day Mexico City. Guatemalan faithful flock to Guatemala City’s Guadalupe Sanctuary every year on the aforementioned date to venerate the Virgin of Guadalupe. As part of the tradition, children are dressed in indigenous outfits to represent Juan Diego who belonged to the Chichimeca ethnic group.

Gustavo García makes a living by selling images of the Virgin of Guadalupe and FC Barcelona during the annual veneration of the Virgin.

The armistice that ended the First World War was signed on November 11th, 1918. Since, many allied nations have adopted the date to commemorate members of the armed forces who have served in a war. In the United States, this day is observed as Veterans Day.
This year’s holiday marks the eight anniversary of a unique commemoration carried out by the Los Angeles chapter of Veterans for Peace (VFP) on the sands of world-renowned Santa Monica Beach. Every Sunday since Veterans Day 2003, numerous VFP members and volunteers have been erecting a temporary and symbolic cemetery aptly named Arlington West Memorial. White crosses represent one fallen Iraq or Afghanistan War veteran, while red crosses represent ten U.S. servicepersons killed in action in these two wars.

The setup begins at dawn and it is taken down before sunset.

Jerry Van, a Vietnam War Veteran, son of a World War II Veteran, and a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of Veterans for Peace, helps setup the Arlington West Memorial on November 11th, 2011.

Arlington West takes its name from Arlington National Cemetery located in Washington D.C.

Steve Davis, resident of Santa Monica, tries to help with the setup just about every weekend. “I am not a veteran, but I believe in the cause. It is important to show the cost of war.”

Besides the crosses, Crescent Moons and Stars of David, symbolizing Islam and Judaism, respectively, are also placed in order to represent non-Christian fallen soldiers.

A troop of U.S. soldiers marches by Arlington West before sunrise.

Michael Lindley, Vietnam War veteran and Arlington West co-coordinator, states: “I do it because it needs to be done. The public needs information… This whole idea of war to solve issues is not the way to go… The human and economic costs of war are outrageous. There is no good answer to a war. We could fund the entire Los Angeles Unified School District for a year with what we have spent on these wars in one day. And so we have classrooms with 40 kids in them.”

According to a February 2011 article by Agence France-Press, “the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq will allow for a reduced US defense budget in 2012 but the war in Afghanistan still costs the United States close to 300 million dollars a day.” (1)
For more statistics on the economic cost of the wars, please visit The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation’s Funding Chart as well as the website Cost of War managed by the National Priorities Project.

Lisa Green, resident of Venice who has ran for congress through the Green Party and is a recurring volunteer, states: “We need to expose the fact that wars are corporate driven. The amount of human suffering has devastating effects on our societies and our planet, which is our home.”

The Arlington West Memorial displays numerous signs with updated statistics. Besides U.S. military servicepersons killed or wounded, it also brings attention to the more than 1.5 million Iraqi and Afghani civilians killed since 2001.

When asked about why he wears Bradley Manning pins on his hat, Michael Lindley replies: “Bradley Manning is a hero. He took the opportunity to share information with the public that we needed to hear.” Bradley Manning is a U.S. Army soldier who has been accused of allegedly passing classified data to WikiLeaks and held in solitary confinement since July 2010.

Pepe Romero, resident of Santa Monica who migrated from Mexico in the 1970s, helps out every week. “I jog every Sunday morning, so since I saw this, just feel like I need to chip in.”

In addition to the red and white crosses, flag-covered coffins with blue crosses are displayed in order to represent the fallen military personnel for that week.

Friends and family members of fallen U.S. soldiers often use the memorial to place flowers and messages to their loved ones.

The website antiwar.com records the official numbers of U.S. soldiers killed since 2001: Iraq: 4,483 and Afghanistan: 1,833. Nevertheless, these numbers pale in comparison to those who make it back and are permanently scarred physically or psychologically: 33,183 veterans have been wounded or injured and CBS reported in 2010 of a suicide epidemic among returning veterans with 18 taking their own life every day. (2)

Arlington West Memorial home page click here.

In Photos slideshow click here.
MiMundo.org’s photo essay on Arlington West in 2006 click here.
Versión en español aquí.

1 “Afghan war costs $300 million a day: Pentagon“ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gNQ3JbWwd6t-PzkuECkRJvsAlNkA
2 Keteyian, Armen. “VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-Mails Show”. July 30, 2010.
 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/21/cbsnews_investigates/main4032921.shtml

iPad/iPod/iPhone users view slideshow here.

Photograph for interview with Robert Méndez of HIJOS Guatemala. Jungle World Newspaper, Berlin, Germany. Issue 44, November 03, 2011.

MiMundo.org contributes with Cover photograph and other images inside.

“This reader brings together more than 200 texts and images in a broad introduction to Guatemala’s history, culture, and politics. In choosing selections to include, the editors sought to avoid representing the country only in terms of its long experience of conflict, racism, and violence. And so, while offering many perspectives on that violence, this anthology portrays Guatemala as a real place where people experience joys and sorrows that cannot be reduced to the contretemps of resistance and repression. It includes not only the opinions of politicians, activists, and scholars but also poems, songs, plays, jokes, novels, short stories, recipes, art, and photographs that capture the diversity of everyday life in Guatemala. The editors introduce all of the selections, from the first piece, an excerpt from the Popol Vuh, a mid-sixteenth-century text believed to be the single most important source documenting pre-Hispanic Maya culture, through the final selections, which explore contemporary Guatemala in relation to neoliberalism, multiculturalism, and the dynamics of migration to the United States and of immigrant life. Many pieces were originally published in Spanish, and most of those appear in English for the first time.”

To purchase from Duke University Press.

On July 7, 2010, Diodora Hernandez, a staunch anti-mining activist, was shot point-blank on the right eye outside her home in the small community of San José Nueva Esperanza – only a few meters from a fence that delimits Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine. One year after her miraculous recuperation, Diodora’s anti-mining stance and activism remains as steadfast as ever.

A flurry of events in mid-2010 brought international attention once again to the controversial Canadian-owned Marlin gold mine:
-May 24: the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calls on the government of Guatemala to “suspend mining activity at the Marlin mine and take steps to protect the health of the surrounding indigenous communities.” (1)
-June 16: James Anaya, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, visits San Miguel Ixtahuacán and eventually issues a report concluding that “Guatemala is currently experiencing a high degree of social unrest in connection with the natural resource extraction activities taking place in the traditional territories of indigenous peoples, which has serious impacts on indigenous peoples’ rights, and threatens governance and economic development.” (2)
-July 7: Three weeks after Anaya’s visit, Diodora Hernández is shot point blank in the face.

Exactly one year after the shooting, Diodora expresses her thoughts on the local radio station The Voice of the People: “They tried to kill me because I do not want to sell my plot of land!”

“People around here do not think about the future or their children, but only on the present, the money they can get for the present,” states Diodora.

Diodora, walking alongside Carmen Mejía and trailed by one of two plainclothes police officers who provide security around the clock, states: “I will never sell my plot. This is where I was born, and I will die here. Even if I did sell it, where would I go?”

Diodora, who lost her right eye as a result of the attack, lives with her daughter María and granddaughter Olga in what now seems the ghost town of San José Nueva Esperanza.

“I am sad because most of my neighbors have sold out and left. But me, hmmm, don’t you worry, I will continue on with the struggle! I am firm as a tree. Standing I am, and standing I will remain.”

During 2011, two Goldcorp shareholders have presented a resolution asking the company to suspend operations at the Marlin mine. (3)
Meanwhile, on September 19, 2011, Goldcorp was removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index due to “ongoing allegations of human rights violations and evidence of environmental contamination in communities affected by Goldcorp’s mining activities.” (4)

“Goldcorp’s removal from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index will not make a difference in the daily lives of communities in Guatemala, Honduras and elsewhere who are living with long-term impacts from this company’s operations,” says Jennifer Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada, “but this is another indication that the company can’t just paper over the damage that it’s doing.” (5)

Two recent feature length documentaries on the Marlin Gold Mine:
The Business of Gold: Chronicle of a Conflict Foretold (2010, Collectif Guatemala). More information and distribution: jmcvicar@gmail.com

Life for Gold (2011, Caracol Producciones). More information and distribution: caracolproducciones@yahoo.es

This photo essay was made possible with the logistical support of Rights Action.

Versión en español aquí.

1 “IACHR calls on the Guatemalan government and Goldcorp to halt mining”. The Guatemala Times. June 10, 2010. http://www.guatemala-times.com/news/guatemala/1668–iachr-calls-on-the-guatemalan-government-and-goldcorp-to-halt-mining.html
2 Anaya, James. “Report on natural resource extraction and the Marlin Mine in Guatemala.”

http://unsr.jamesanaya.org/notes/report-on-natural-resource-extraction-and-the-marlin-mine-in-guatemala

3 http://goldcorpoutofguatemala.com/2011/03/23/shareholders-announce-resolution-to-suspend-controversial-goldcorp-mine-in-guatemala/
4 http://www.miningwatch.ca/news/goldcorp-removed-dow-jones-sustainability-index
5 Ibid.

iPad/iPod/iPhone users view slideshow here.

Work produced with the support of Dutch NGO Solidaridad during 2008-09.

iPad/iPod/iPhone users view slideshow here.