Dear editor,

After a recent school trip to Guatemala鈥檚 Altiplano, I became aware of how Canada鈥檚 international corporations are having a disastrous effect on local populations. Our group interacted with an organization of indigenous women. The association invited Guatemalan specialists to share their knowledge with us.

One of the most memorable presentations was given by a Guatemalan mining engineer. In Guatemala, the majority of the mining companies are owned by foreign investors. Many of these high-profile companies are subsidiaries of Canadian corporations. These companies claim to sustain the local economy, however this is not the case. There is no realistic consultation with the communities before the awarding of mining licences. The engineer told us about how one mining company deceived locals by pretending to be an orchid restoration program.

Another problem is that the tailings from these mines are inadequately treated and infiltrate the water supply. The heavy metals consumed by the local population, too poor to purchase safe drinking water, cause severe health problems.

When the communities complained to the Guatemalan government, those complaints were dismissed and they were told that they had poor hygiene practices. Protesting against mining is extremely dangerous and activists are often targeted with threats and personal attacks.

The violation of human rights and indigenous rights associated with mining in Guatemala has to stop. The first step towards this requires the Guatemalan government establishing new mining regulations. The second step, recommended by Amnesty International, is pressuring the home governments of international mining corporations (i.e. Canada) to 鈥渆stablish and implement effective regulatory frameworks for holding their companies accountable for the human rights impact of their activities.鈥�

Two major Canadian players operating in Guatemala are Goldcorp Inc, and Tahoe Resources, both having offices in Vancouver. Canada鈥檚 responsibility should be to ensure that Canadian companies respect human rights when they operate in communities that are already vulnerable. Individuals can have a great impact by consuming wisely and demanding our government put in place regulations that hold those companies accountable for their actions. I encourage the reader to look into Amnesty International鈥檚 campaign Don鈥檛 Undermine our Rights for more information about mining in Guatemala and opportunities to promote change in the way we are currently doing business.

Marie-Gabrielle B茅chard

Courtenay