3rd Infographic regarding mineral extraction @ Educa
Three years after the murder of Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez, spokesperson for the Coordination of the United Peoples of the Ocotlán Valley (COPUVO), who was ambushsed on 15 March 2012, COPUVO members held a peaceful protest outside the Cuzcatlán mine in San José del Progreso for the anniversary of the attack, demanding that the intellectual author of the murder be revealed. “There is still no justice for those who have been attacked. On the contrary, Fortune Silver Mines has announced its expansion. This is the result of the authorities ignoring the case, which has significantly affected the human rights of the community,” said a relative of the slain activist.
This declaration makes reference to the fact that Fortune Silver has reported that, for 2016, the Cuzcatlán mine will become one of the 15 most productive mines of Latin America, due to the investment of $30 million that will be made in 2015 to improve infrastructure and equipment, so as to increase daily production by 50%. The firm indicated that it presently produces about 2,000 tons of silver and gold daily, placing it among the 20 most exploited regions in the country. For 2016, the vision is that this number rise to 3,000 daily tons.
Nonetheless, Services for an Alternative Education (EDUCA) has published three infographics regarding the establishment of mineral firms in Mexico, toward the end of sharing data about the problem that leads to mineral extraction in the country. EDUCA documents that the governments of Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón sold off 52 million hectares to mining firms, corresponding to 26% of the national territory. According to the General Coordination on Mining, a branch of the Economy Ministry, 870 mining projects are currently registered. Oaxaca finds itself in 8th place. The top three slots are for Sonora, Chihuahua, and Guanajuato states, which have 210, 113, and 95 mining projects, respectively. Beyond this, EDUCA indicates that the profits seen by the San José del Progreso municipality amount to 1% of the 1.7 billion pesos that the Canadian firm Fortune Silver Mines expects to gain through its exploitation of silver and gold. The conditions under which such concessions have been granted have involved the death of 4 individuals and the degradation of the social fabric of the local community.
For more information (in Spanish):
Ver la infográfica 1 (Educa)
Ver infografía 2 (Educa)
Datos de extracción minera alertan sobre pérdida de territorio nacional(Educa, 12 de marzo de 2015)
Oaxaca, en el top 15 de productores de oro y plata en AL; meta para el 2016 (Noticias Net, 13 de marzo de 2015)
Pedirán antimineros de Ocotlán diálogo con el gobierno local (Noticias Net, 16 de marzo de 2015)
Marchan por líder antiminero asesinado (Noticias Net, 14 de marzo de 2015)
Para más información de SIPAZ:
Oaxaca: presentation of report “Justice for San José del Progreso” (16 March 2014)
Oaxaca: Murder of the spokesperson of the Coordination of the United Peoples of the Ocotlán Valley (25 March 2012)
Oaxaca: Two opponents of mining in San José del Progreso are fired on (8 February 2012)
Mexico: “Mined land, the defense of the rights of communities and of the environment” (14 December 2011)
Oaxaca: Coordination of United People of the Ocotlán Valley close entrance to silver mine in San José del Progreso (14 March 2011)
Oaxaca: Civil Mission of Observation “Water is Life; Let us Defend its Existence” (8 September 2010)
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