SumOfUs has changed its name to Ekō. Help us avoid ending up in spam and
mark this email as safe.


-----------------------------------------------------



People living down the river from Barrick Gold’s Pueblo Viejo mine avoid
even touching the river water for fear of getting rashes and skin lesions.

Act now to stop Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold’s plan to expand its
toxic mining operation.

[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 

   
John,

Communities first noticed animals dying. Then they said their children got
sick. And the fruit started to mold and rot while still hanging on their
trees. 

For over a decade, Barrick Gold’s Pueblo Viejo mine in the Dominican
Republic has been devastating the lives of those living in the six nearby
villages.

And now Barrick has applied for a permit to expand the mine, which would
displace seven more communities and bring further devastation to the area.

This week, locals are joining with other communities around the world to
protest Barrick Gold’s deadly mining operations. By signing this petition,
you will help amplify their voices and show that people from across the
globe are watching.

[ [link removed] ]Sign now to demand that government officials deny Barrick Gold’s
dangerous permit to expand the Pueblo Viejo mine.

The Pueblo Viejo mine has been accused of contaminating the local rivers
with heavy metals and chemicals to the point where locals have reported no
longer wading in the streams they once bathed in for fear of getting
rashes and skin lesions.

For over a decade, the surrounding communities have been forced to depend
on bottled water for all of their drinking, cooking, and washing needs.
And there is widespread fear that the local produce is also contaminated.

They have tried to convince the government and Barrick to relocate 450
families that live downstream from the El Llagal tailings dam, which holds
Pueblo Viejo’s mining waste. But so far their demands have been ignored.

Last year, Barrick submitted plans to build a second tailings dam near the
El Llagal dam so that it can store even more highly-contaminated waste
water. The expansion would also allow the Pueblo Viejo mine to remain open
for at least 20 more years. 

But the Dominican government hasn’t approved the permit yet. That is why
we must support local efforts to convince government officials to shut
down the dangerous expansion project, and relocate the communities already
impacted by the El Llagal dam to a safer area.

[ [link removed] ]Add your name to support local communities in the Dominican Republic
fighting against Barrick’s devastating plans.

If enough Ekō members like you take action today, the global public outcry
against Barrick will become impossible for the Dominican government to
ignore. And that is how we can uplift the demands of communities living
near the Pueblo Viejo mine, so that government officials will finally
stand up to Barrick Gold.



[ [link removed] ] Sign the petition 



Thanks for all that you do,
Lacey and the team at Ekō


More information:

[ [link removed] ]Surviving Next to One of the World’s Largest Gold Mines
Earthworks. 2 February, 2023

[ [link removed] ]The Canadian Mining Company Dominicans Call “Worse Than Columbus”
Jacobin. July 8, 2021

 

 

Ekō is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.

Please help keep Ekō strong by chipping in $3. [link removed]