Antonio Morales, Maya Mam, community organizer assassinated, fought GoldCorp’s Montana mining in Guatemala
Antonio Morales, a Guatemalan indigenous leader from the CUC, Committee of Campesino Unity, was attacked and hacked to death yesterday morning as he returned to his home in Colotenango, Guatemala. Morales was a national leader of the CUC, CNOC and Maya Waqib Kej, three of Guatemala’s most important indigenous organizations which have actively opposed large scale mining projects, hydroelectric projects and the privatization of water. Such is the case in San Miguel Iztahuacan, San Marcos where Montana Exploring a subsidiary of Canada’s Goldcorp Inc has spent thousands of dollars on trying to halt a community led plebiscite that poses to threaten Montana’s mining exploration and mineral extraction. Fifty-nine mayors of local villages and towns in the region have unified in opposition to Montana’s mining and the result has been increased military presence in the region to protect Montana’s interests.
Posted: August 15th, 2008 under Economic Violence, Environment, Guatemala, Indigenous Rights, Mining, Oil & Gas.