Oaxaca: Front Formed against Mining and Wind Farms on the Tehuantepec Isthmus

Mining in the Isthmus (@Diana Manzo)

At the end of a meeting held in San Pedro Tapanatepec, more than 500 people from seven municipalities of the Tehuantepec Isthmus (Chahuites, Tapanatepec, Ixhuatán, Reforma, Niltepec, San Francisco del Mar and Zanatepec) declared themselves against open pit mining that Canadian companies intend to install in 30,000 hectares of the eastern part of the Isthmus, including 19 thousand hectares of forest in Chimalpas. Given the predicted effects, they unanimously agreed to form a Regional Defense Committee Against Mining. They denounced that the government sold the permits without asking, violating rights.

It should be recalled that between 2005 and 2013 the federal government awarded five grants for a period of 50 years to three Canadian mining companies, including Minaurum Gold Inc., in the municipalities of Zanatepec, Chahuites, San Pedro Tapanatepec and San Miguel Chimalpas .

“It is not only the mines, we should not forget that wind farm company officials have reached the ejidos, from Arriaga to Salina Cruz, who want to convince [people]; there are already companies trying to install their wind farms on our land, but there is also a regional movement of compañeros in resistance,” said one participant.

For more information in Spanish:

No permitiremos minería en nuestro territorio: istmeños (EDUCA, 10 de octubre de 2016)

Integran frente contra mineras y eólicas en el istmo de Tehuantepec (NSS Oaxaca, 12 de octubre de 2016)

Crean movimiento de resistencia contra mineras y eólicas en el istmo de Tehuantepec (Regeneración, 12 de octubre de 2016)

Conforman alianza contra minera canadiense (NVI Noticias, 13 de octubre de 2016)

For more information from SIPAZ :

Oaxaca: Se llevó a cabo Foro Regional “La minería en Oaxaca. Impactos sociales y ambientales” (29 de abril de 2016)

Oaxaca: Encuentro estatal de comunidades y organizaciones en resistencia a proyectos mineros (4 de febrero de 2016)

Oaxaca: Ejidos y comunidades de Valles Centrales declaran sus territorios libres de minería (4 de diciembre de 2015)

Oaxaca: Presenta ONU publicación sobre derecho a la consulta y megaproyectos (29 de junio de 2011)