The Frente Amplio Opositor (FAO, Spanish for Broad Opposition Front), an anti-mining movement based in Mexico and Montreal, is urgently seeking organizers and solidarity activists to help spread the word and support an upcoming mobilization in Toronto. They are sending a delegation to attend Metallica Resources’ shareholder meeting on June 17th.
According to the FAO-Montreal website,
[the Toronto-based company] is currently embroiled in one of Mexico’s most important legal, social and environmental conflicts, one triggered by its operation of an open-pit cyanide-leached mining operation at the Cerro de San Pedro in the state of San Luis Potosí. [see video below]
“To date its Mexican subsidiary, Minera San Xavier, has been accused of influence-peddling and corruption amongst state and national-level politicians. This has allowed the company to operate despite numerous rulings by Mexican courts that have revoked the company’s operating permits. Minera San Xavier has also been accused of orchestrating or abetting the murder, harassment and intimidation of local opposition to the mine, one of whom, Enrique Rivera Sierra, is currently in Canada claiming political asylum.
Accompanied by Lorena Gil, Enrique Rivera will be attending the June 17th mobilization, along with Armando Barreiro - a federal elected parliamentarian; Carlos Covarrubias - a lawyer and government ‘regidor’ or advisor with the opposition party (PRD) who works on the Agrarian Tribunal legal case for Cerro de San Pedro; and Don Mario Martinez - a retired mineral engineer, resident of Cerro de San Pedro and Frente Amplio Opositor (FAO) activist.
Courtesy of Rights Action, here is the FAO’s Call to Action:
THE METALLICA RESOURCES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: PICKET AND CREATIVE ACTION
Date: June 17th. Time: 10:00 am. Place: Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay St., Toronto, ON. (http://www.toronto.suttonplace.com/)
¡¡¡CERRO DE SAN PEDRO: MEXICAN MINE BATTLE COMES TO TORONTO!!!
Since 1997, residents of the Mexican village of Cerro de San Pedro and the surrounding area have been fighting a large-scale open-pit gold and silver mine. Canadian corporation Metallica Resources Inc. has backed the project since its inception.
[As of March 2007, the Canadian Pension Plan has over Cdn$11,000,000 invested in this company.]
Mining operations began in 2006 without required environmental permits and despite the repression of dissent, a political assassination, and widespread allegations of corruption. In July 2008, Metallica Resources will merge with two other junior mining firms to form New Gold Inc.
Join Mexican anti-mine activists at the site of Metallica Resource’s shareholder meeting as they bring the resistance to Canada and give future New Gold shareholders a preview of the battle ahead.
CALL FOR SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY
The Frente Amplio Opositor (FAO), the anti-mine movement located in Mexico and Montreal, is urgently seeking organizers and solidarity activists to spread the word and support our mobilization in Toronto. We are looking for people who can help with outreach and mobilization, and who may be interested in organizing other events with the Mexican delegates. Please contact us at cerrodesanpedro@gmail.com for more information. Members of FAO Montreal are available for trips to Toronto to organize actions in the coming weeks.
For photos of an anti-Metallica action in Montreal in 2007: http://photos.cmaq.net/v/fao/
For more information on the struggle in Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico: http://faomontreal.wordpress.com/ or http://cerrodesanpedro.org
To get in touch: cerrodesanpedro@gmail.com
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here’s a bit more info…
METALLICA RESOURCES Inc. IN MEXICO
The FAO (Spanish for Broad Opposition Front) Mexico and Montreal, a movement against illegal mining operations in Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico, has decided to send a delegation to Canada, because Metallica Resources Inc. (the Canadian mining company there) - which is ravaging the earth illegally in Cerro de San Pedro - is having its AGM in Toronto on June 17th (more details in official callout below!).
THE METALLICA RESOURCES ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: PICKET AND CREATIVE ACTION
Date: June 17th. Time: 10:00 am. Place: Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay St., Toronto, ON. (http://www.toronto.suttonplace.com/).
Although the timeline is short, we are at a really critical moment in the struggle right now and both collectives (in Mexico and Montreal) decided to move forward.
We made a call to Metallica and found out that we can bring delegates from Mexico into the shareholders’ meeting and ask questions. We are also going to try to organize some street theatre and a picket outside, but seeing as we are in Mexico and Montreal, we are hoping that the word gets out in Toronto and that people take interest.
The three delegates from Mexico will be:
1- Armando Barreiro - a federal elected parliamentarian
2- Carlos Covarrubias - a lawyer and government ‘regidor’ or advisor with the opposition party (PRD) who works on the Agrarian Tribunal legal case for Cerro de San Pedro
3- Don Mario Martinez - a retired mineral engineer, resident of Cerro de San Pedro and Frente Amplio Opositor (FAO) activist
The delegates will be accompanied by Lorena Gil and Enrique Rivera, who is seeking refugee status in Canada due to repression surrounding the Cerro de San Pedro case. Members of FAO Montreal will also be traveling to Toronto.
The delegates are available to meet with any interested organizations before the 17th. I have attached below a “callout” that we’re circulating. Lorena Gil will be in Toronto the week before the action, and can be reached at Loregil_26@yahoo.com.
We are hoping to set up meetings with Barreiro and Canadian parliamentarians (who, of course, will not necessarily be in Ottawa). Any advice, names or ideas would also be welcome. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or Lorena with any questions, tips, etc.
In solidarity,
Nadia Hausfather
(514) 585-6489