“Goldcorp is Canada’s shame,” states a young participant, Valerie Croft, and member of Amnesty International. “We are all complicit so long as Goldcorp continues to operate with impunity in Guatemala.”
Brandishing large caricature-size newspapers and hand-crafted headlines, 30 or so protestors marched from Goldcorp’s headquarters in Toronto to Dundas and Yonge intersection where they intermittently posed at the intersection holding out headlines pointing to Goldcorp’s poor environmental and human rights records throughout Mesoamerica, and the recent insider trading scandal involving chairman Ian Telfer.
This event is one of many actions throughout Latin America being organized in light of the annual Goldcorp shareholders meeting in South Porcupine, Ontario where affected community members will appeal to shareholders to demand increased corporate accountability. There is growing concern that Goldcorp will cease operations at its site in San Marcos, Guatemala without establishing adequate measures for clean-up and compensation.
“It’s a disgrace that after stealing land and resources from the people of San Miguel, Goldcorp adds insult to injury by refusing to clean up after themselves,” says Mining Injustice Solidarity Network member, Rebecca Bartel.
For more background info, check out: Gold flows as wells run dry
For more information about the event: Mining Injustice Solidarity Network call-out