Campaign Unavailable

Thousands of indigenous villagers in Guatemala are protesting an open-pit cyanide leach gold mine that is being developed by the Canadian-U.S. firm Glamis Gold in the western Guatemalan highlands. Starting December 3rd, 2004, villagers in the neighboring province blockaded trucks carrying mining equipment for 40 days. One villager died and many others were injured when the Guatemalan government sent in the military on January 11th to end the blockade.

The International Finance Corporation of the World Bank approved a $45 million loan for this project in June 2004, without first ensuring that the local population supported the development of the mine. Guatemala's National Council of Indigenous Peoples has publicly called on the government to reject the project, which is located in an area that is populated almost exclusively by indigenous Mam-Mayan and Sipacapense-Mayan peoples.The villagers say that Glamis Gold has failed to consult directly with them and failed to inform them about environmental risks and impacts.

Take Action! Send/amend the letter below.  Tell the IFC to withdraw funding to the project, and Glamis Gold to halt mine development, until local indigenous communities have been consulted and give their consent to of the project.