Medoro executive under fire over comments on Colombia [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Medoro executive under fire over comments on Colombia
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 10:02
Marguerite Cawley

The director of Canadian gold mining company Medoro came under fire Wednesday after stating that the resettlement of populations for mining operations is a "matter of money."

In the documentary titled "Fault Lines: Colombia's Gold Rush," the film-makers visited the town of Marmato (Caldas department), lying in Colombia's "historic gold mining district" about three hours south of Medellin, where concessions have been sold to Medoro. According to the documentary, the company plans to essentially blow up the mountain to create an open mine, and relocate everyone in the village.

In the 25-minute documentary, Medero's corporate director Juan Carlos Santos, the cousin of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, stated that "there are government pressures... that can help out, I mean we can negotiate, we can compensate them with, basically with our checkbook. I don't want to sound prepotent or arrogant, but I mean it ends up being basically a matter of money, as well as history and a lot of other things, but basically, money."

In reference to the company's decision to move to a new area, the director stated that "the company simply pulls out the checkbook and tells everybody, okay, there are 30 families in this place? How much does each family want?"

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/economy/17434-gold-mining-company-director-denies-controversial-statements.html