OVERWHELMING VOTE AGAINST GOLD MINING IN GUATEMALA, BUT GREED CARRIES THE DAY.
On July 27, more than 27,000 people in five municipalities in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, voted in popular consultations to reject mining projects. Meanwhile, one mining company agreed to start paying taxes early, while another received a new license to start mining. Taken together, the events point to a disconnect between peoples and the governments that rule them. Gold, that most historic of culprits, is again playing its traditional role. In the consultations in the Guatemalan highlands between July 25 and July 27, 99% of the 27,292 local residents taking part rejected mining projects proposed for their areas. The turnout for these consultations was higher by far than the turnout for the 2003 general elections. The project of the Tenango Mining Company upon which the consultations were held entails the extraction of eight different minerals over 92 sq km. Mining now involves 10% of Guatemalan territory, but 90% of these lands are inhabited by indigenous people. No particular reasons have emerged to suspect that the massive rejection registered in Huehuetenango would be any different anywhere else.
Communities denied notification
What is agonizing about the outcome, however, is that the consultations occurred long after the license was granted to Tenango. Local authorities, leaders, and populations were not consulted at that time. Some said they were informed on Feb. 3, the deadline the government had set for raising objections. Alberto Aguilar, mayor of Santiago Chimaltenango, said he was notified a month after the license was approved.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy (MEM) denied responsibility for the timing. Oscar Rosal, head of the mining department, said the ministry sent the documents to the governor, who should have sent them on to the mayors, but did not. The mayors then decided among themselves to carry out a plebiscite. Mayor Pedro Domingo of San Juan Atitan was first to consult community leaders, who in turn went to the people.
Other municipalities followed the same procedure, supported by the Asociacion Guatemalteco de Alcaldes y Autoridades Indigenas (AGAAI), the community-development association CEIBA, and the Fundacion Maya (FUNDAMAYA). These organizations provided materials presenting the evidence and arguments for and against the mining project. The consultation process was observed by the Centro Universitario de Noroccidente (CUNOROC) and by the Equipo Tecnico de Educacion en Salud Comunitaria (ETESC).
