People’s Struggles in Latin America Extends to Natural Resources
People’s Struggles in Latin America Extends to Natural Resources
Written by W. T. Whitney Jr.
Thursday, 01 March 2012 12:31
Iván Cepeda wrote to United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon in February about Colombia’s Argos cement corporation. Colombian congressperson Cepeda, who leads the MOVICE human rights group, was testifying as to the dangers of corporate dominion over natural resources. He’s part of a growing movement of Latin Americans who reject exploitation of water, land, minerals, and oil on grounds that human rights are being abused, in addition to national wealth being commandeered by the already rich.
In the process of acquiring 31.3 thousand acres, Argos, fifth largest cement producer in Latin America, sixth largest in the United States, used paramilitary groups to force farm families off land thereby expediting land transfers.
Currently, big mining operations in Latin America are facing a wave of strikes, marches, and demonstrations. Local people are resisting land takeovers and degradation of forests and waterways. In Panama, for example, two protesters died recently as the indigenous Ngabe Buglé protested government plans to remove trees from 12,500 acres to get at copper reserves estimated at 17 million tons.
In Argentina, renewed struggle over environmental contamination at the Bajo La Alumbrera copper and gold mine, the nation’s largest open pit operation, left 24 wounded, and dozens arrested. The owner is Swiss and Canadian financed Xstrata Corporation. After several years of protests against the Canadian-owned Famatina gold mine, residents of nearby La Rioja recently blocked mine access for over three weeks as solidarity demonstrations spread nationwide.
More:
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/3488-peoples-struggle-in-latin-america-extends-to-natural-resources