Common Frontiers, MiningWatch Canada and Le Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL) launched a letter-writing campaign on behalf of communities from Chile’s “First territory to declare itself free of mining”, currently facing ongoing abuses by a Canadian junior mining company, Los Andes Copper.For many years the company drilled hundreds of kilometres of core samples, illegally without an environmental licence. Then, in May the Chilean government and the company too advantage of the pandemic to virtually approve a new drilling licence for the unwanted proposed copper mine, without public participation. When people took to the streets to peaceful express their disaccord, the government sent in the military to repress them.
Canada provides diplomatic and trade services support to Canadian mining companies operating abroad. But, the Canadian Voices at Risk Guidelines now state that if a company is said to be violating human rights, that assistance can be withdrawn with the end of protecting human rights defenders. Canada needs to draw its support for mining companies operating without consent.
Please consider sending a letter (pre-written for your convenience) to the Canadian Ambassador to Chile to demand that the embassy stop providing trade support to the company, and make a statement regarding the abuses that community members are facing. It takes 20 seconds.
https://miningwatch.ca/blog/2020/5/27/support-putaendo?fbclid=IwAR1OG5olFONKltNJCNPJTFgSSUGh9nHIvl2G2wi-U9L-eLriSfNtf89iHa8
