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Even as the courageous ‘defense of democracy’ battle plays itself forward in Guatemala, trying to oust the corrupt, military-backed government of President Giammattei from power, Swiss company Solway Investment Group announces that the U.S. government has "licensed" Solway’s subsidiary companies (Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, CGN, and Compañía Procesadora de Níquel de Izabal, ProNiCo) "to resume mining operations" at El Estor.
But it's a lie. It cannot be. The U.S. government cannot license Solway, or its subsidiaries, to operate a mine in Guatemala. That is an internal Guatemalan matter. The only thing the U.S. government did is to remove Solway and its subsidiaries from the arbitrary U.S. blacklist.
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Illegal consultation during an illegal state of siege
Furthermore, what Solway's press release does not say is that the alleged "community consultation" Solway conducted in Guatemala was illegal. It was carried out during a campaign of military repression against the Q'eqchi' people, during the months of October 2021-January 2022, under a state of military siege illegally imposed by the corrupt, military-backed government of President Giammattei.
- Corte de Constitucionalidad vuelve a dejar en suspenso legalidad de consulta sobre la mina de El Estor, Hector Silva Avalos y Juan Calles, Prensa Comunitaria, abril 27, 2022, https://prensacomunitaria.org/2022/04/corte-de-constitucionalidad-vuelve-a-dejar-en-suspenso-legalidad-de-consulta-sobre-la-mina-de-el-estor/
- “Fenix" mining operation in Guatemala is ILLEGAL. Solway Investment Group & CGN, governments of Guatemala and Switzerland, responsible for repression that may occur, by Rights Action, October 20, 2021, https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/fenix-mining-operation-in-guatemala-is-illegal
Now, it is once again up to the Q'eqchi' people - the Q'eqchi' defenders of El Estor - and their allies in Guatemala, Switzerland, and the U.S. and Canada to oppose Solway's return to illegal operation of the Fenix mine.
Grahame Russell
[email protected]
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More information
Send letters to
- Solway Investment Group: Baarerstrasse 8, 6300 Zug Switzerland, +41417400400, [email protected], [email protected], www.solwaygroup.com
- Embassy of Switzerland in Guatemala: +502 2367 5520, [email protected], [email protected]
- Embassy of Switzerland, Canada: +1 613 235 1837, [email protected]
- Swiss Embassy, United States: +1 202 745 7900, [email protected],
- [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
- European Union of Human Rights in Guatemala: [email protected]
Background
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Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
To support land and environmental defenders, and human rights, justice and democracy defense struggles in Honduras and Guatemala, make check to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: Box 82858, RPO Cabbagetown Toronto, ON, M5A 3Y2
Credit-Card Donations: https://rightsaction.org/donate/
Direct deposits, write to: [email protected]
Donations of securities, write to: [email protected]
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