Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1992, and Bishop Alvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri, Bishop of San Marcos in the highlands of Guatemala, have asked President Alvaro Colom to close a gold mine, the Mina Marlin mine, in keeping with a decree issued by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (CIDH).
The request says “We call on President Alvaro Colom to abide by the findings of the Commission, and without further delay, take steps to resolve the question in a fair and just manner to guarantee better quality of life for the people of Guatemala”. The letter signed by the two important national figures was also published in the local newspapers.
Rigoberta Menchú denounced President Alvaro Colom for failing to close Marlin mine, situated in the department of San Marcos, close to the Mexican border, which has caused damage to the environment and to the health of the local people. Activists say that because it failed to close the mine the government will have to pay compensation to the residents for damage to homes, pollution of water, air and food crops. CIDH ordered the government of Guatemala to close the Marlin mine for the safety of the people and to pay attention to natural resources, because reportedly the mining activity pollutes natural resources.
The situation has now become international, according to the local media James Anaya, UN special rapporteur for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has arrived in Guatemala to see the situation for himself. Marlin gold mine, in the department of San Marcos, situated 250km from the capital has been active since October 2005. Following a protest against serious pollution on May 20 the CIDH ordered preventative measures to be taken for the 18 communities in the area and the closing of the mine. Since its opening the mine has been strongly opposed by the local people, by environment groups and by the local Catholic Church in the person of the Bishop of San Marcos Alvaro Ramazzini.
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