Press Release on the Meeting of World Bank President Wolfowitz with Guatemalan Delegates of People Affected by Mining
On December 9th, 2005, World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz met with a delegation to discuss a controversial chemical gold mining project that has received support from International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the Bank and which is causing troubles in the region and negatively affecting the native indigenous Sipakapense people -a nation of barely 14,000- who live in San Marcos, Guatemala.
The delegation was formed by Mario Tema, traditional indigenous leader, member of the Council of Indigenous Authorities of the Western Highlands of Guatemala, former president of the Academy of Mayan Languages and the delegate of the Sipakapense people; Magali Rey Rosa, member of environmental NGO and Collective MadreSelva and of the High Level Commission on Mining; Karyn Keenan, from Friends of the Earth – Canada; Eric Holt-Gimenez of the Bank Information Center and Keith Slack of Oxfam America. Other World Bank and IFC directors and members of the Compliance Advisory Ombudsman’s office of the Bank (which conducted an independent investigation of the project) were present also.
Mr. Tema denounced the violation of his peoples and their territorial rights, stating that the mining project was imposed on them with no information or adequate consultation process, he spoke of how this project assaults their way of life, and their rejection to it, which was recently legally manifested in a consultation process, for which reason they demand:
1. That the consultation process be acknowledged and respected by the World Bank and that the Sipakapense peoples’ rejection of mining is heeded.
2. That the mining company leaves Sipacapa, withdrawing all installations and offices and ceasing any exploration on Sipacapa’s territory.
3. That, honoring its original mission to reduce poverty, the World Bank supports a development project for the people of Sipacapa that is designed with their full participation, and that doesn’t threaten their livelihood, their culture or their world vision.
4. That the World Bank guarantees that the territory, the environment and biodiversity of the Sipakapense territory will not be affected by any metal mining activity.
5. That if the above points are not met, that the World Bank withdraw its support from the Marlin project, which is owned by Canadian company Glamis Gold, known in Guatemala as Montana Exploradora, because their rights have been violated.
Magali Rey Rosa spoke of the Guatemalan government’s low regulatory capacity and inability to manage the environmental dangers posed by chemical metal mining, its lack of sensitivity to deal with the worries and rising objections of indigenous peoples, and the official and corporate use of violence as the only response to problems related to the project, that has already resulted in the death of two Guatemalans. The use of military and police forces –related to the mining project- is seen as a direct violation of Guatemala’s Peace Accords. The situation in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, where the Marlin Mine and other mining concessions are located is highly volatile, and if mining continues in the region at the current pace, it is feared that violent repression may occur in the region.
The delegates from the northern NGOs brought the WB’s Extractive Industries Review into perspective, stating that the Marlin project violates the principles drawn from it.
They delineated three possible scenarios:
1. Continue with business as usual, which would leave Guatemalans on their own, and probably lead to a violent standoff between the government and impacted peoples
2. Withdrawal of support by the World Bank, which would send a very strong message that Guatemala, is not ready for mining, but which would also leave the mining company and the Guatemalan government to do as they please:
3. The World Bank’s intervention to seek solutions to this problem before it gets worse.
After listening attentively, Mr. Wolfowitz said he is not an expert on mining, but since he has seen mines in Indonesia and Africa he can understand why people are bothered and worried. He said having oil and mineral wealth has paradoxically been a curse to many peoples.
He admitted that the bank group as a whole should have done a better job, and said he believes there are solutions. He said this case is a great challenge, and expressed interest in seeking solutions and keeping an open dialogue. The meeting was concluded with his request that we send him a proposal on how to achieve the demands listed above.
We feel satisfied because we had a positive meeting, but we are in a bind, because dialogue is great but not enough. The Marlin Mine began official operations on the 2nd of December, and as Glamis Gold reaps wealth from our lands, we could be talking for years. Will the World Bank accept our proposal and take it seriously? Will the IFC and Glamis agree to participate? Up until now we have done everything in our power to seek a peaceful solution, and we can only hope that the World Bank will use its considerable power to push for positive and speedy action to achieve our demands and defuse the volatile situation in Guatemala’s western highlands.
For more information on the Marlin project in Guatemala: www.madreselva.com.gt
Magali Rey Rosa: lamaga@intelnet.net.gt
Mario Tema: mariotema@itelgua.com
