As seen on Mining Environmental
Governments across Latin America are using mining activities to fuel development” while ignoring the impact on the local environment and indigenous communities” says a recent study by Washington-based advocacy group Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).
According to the study” which was released last week at the 14th Rights and Resources Initiative in Bogotá” governments in Colombia” Guatemala” Panama and Peru are prioritising the needs of foreign investors operating in extractive industries” such as mining and oil exploration” over the local population and have returned to what it terms a “colonial mentality.”
“We seem to have returned to an almost colonial mentality”” said Margarita Florez” executive director” Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad” who carried out the study.
“Our governments are being short-sighted. They are undervaluing renewable resources such as forests and water” and are putting the rights of foreign investors before those who have lived and worked the land for generations.”
While the study reveals that on paper each of the four countries have binding environmental licensing regulations that should require environmental impact studies to be carried out” efforts to do so have been hampered by weakened laws and a lack of technical expertise and human resources know-how.
This is particularly relevant when you consider that extractive industries have been one of the primary targets for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in all four countries in recent years.
In 2011″ FDI in Peru increased by 5% and most of this investment was connected with the mining industry. However” the country has witnessed several high-profile skirmishes between local communities and mining companies encroaching on their territory.
For instance” Chinalco” which to date has invested around US$2.2 billion in a copper” silver and molybdenum deposit in Peru’s Mount Toromocho” has been strongly criticised by local communities who have been forced to move against their will and find new jobs.
In 2011″ UK-based Monterrico Metals” a subsidiary of Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd” was forced to pay compensation to 28 Peruvian farmers for abuse inflicted by police during protests outside the company’s Rio Blanco mine in 2005.
Original Article – Latin America under fire over mining drive