Cowboys and Aliens … and Goldcorp?

Copyright 2011 Universal Pictures

By Amanda Kistler, Guatemala Project Campaigner

What does the new blockbuster hit Cowboys and Aliens (starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig) have in common with the Marlin Mine in Guatemala? Or rather, what do cowboys, aliens and Goldcorp all have in common? An unquenchable thirst for gold.

My most recent trip to the box office promised action, aliens, and Harrison Ford. I never expected that the battle between aliens and cowboys to control the Wild West would come down to a “who-gets-the-gold?” showdown of epic proportions. Turns out even aliens are willing to set up operations in remote areas, begin extraction in secret and disregard our planet for gold in this summer’s flick.

Shareholder Activism: Vote Demands Suspension of Goldcorp Mine in Guatemala

By Amanda Kistler, Guatemala Project Campaigner

We’re off to Vancouver!

As I type this post at 30,000ft flying over Ontario, we are in crunch time preparing for Goldcorp’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Vancouver, BC this Wednesday, May 18th!

CIEL is a member of the International Coalition Against Unjust Mining in Guatemala (CAMIGUA), which works to defend the rights of the indigenous communities affected by Goldcorp’s Marlin mine. We use every tool available to us, including shareholder activism. The shareholders resolution we’ve submitted this year, which CIEL Senior Attorney Kris Genovese will defend on Wednesday,

The Real Cost of Gold: Undermining Human Rights in Guatemala

 

By Amanda Kistler

Amanda Kistler, Guatemala Project Campaigner

As the muted colors of the Guatemalan altiplano blurred by the tinted windows of the van, something in the valley caught my eye: an enormous, nearly glowing chartreuse-colored body of water.  Closer inspection revealed this unnatural color emanated from the residual waters in the tailings pond of Goldcorp Inc.’s Marlin Mine in San Marcos, Guatemala.

Despite having worked in Guatemala for two years, I had never seen the Marlin mine until now.  During my years living in rural Guatemalan communities, I had begun to appreciate the deeply interwoven relationship between indigenous Mayan campesinos and their lands.  In Guatemala, land is life. Period.