Mining in El Mining in El SalvadorSalvadorBy Beth BarkleyBy Beth Barkley

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Pacific Rim Mining Pacific Rim Mining CorporationCorporation

Who: Canadian mining company

What: Extracting gold and silver from El Salvador

When: Since 2002

Where: El Salvador, State of Cabañas

Why: Pacific Rim gains 25-30 million ounces of gold and is only taxed 2%

El SalvadorEl Salvador

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Cabañas Cabañas

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Central America Central America Free Trade Free Trade

AgreementAgreement Between the United States, Central

America, and Dominican Republic

Pacific Rim lawsuit: suing Salvadoran government for $77 million through CAFTA

Taking advantage of U.S. rights through CAFTA

Scarce Water SupplyScarce Water Supply 10.4 liters of water/second X six

years

In one hour, the company is going to use the amount of water a family uses in 30 years and for only $5

Two tons of deadly chemicals daily

Ramiro Rivera Ramiro Rivera GomezGomez

Vice President of the Cabañas Environment Committee

Months prior to murder, victim of violent attacks, shot eight times

Under 24 hour police protection

December 20, 2009 shot repeatedly in the head and chest

Dora “Alicia” Recinos Dora “Alicia” Recinos SortoSorto

32 years old, Eight months pregnant

Anti-mining activist, Member of the Cabañas Environment Committee

Husband, José Santos Rodriguez was killed

December 26, 2009 shot (five times) dead

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Contact Your SenatorsContact Your Senators Maryland:

Benjamin L. Cardin 509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4524

Barbara A. Mikulski 503 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 (202) 224-4654

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Work CitedWork Cited Anti-Mining Activists Killed in El Salvador. Amy Goodman. Democrazy Now: The

War and Peace Report. A Daily TV/radio News Program, Hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Airing on over 800 Stations, Pioneering the Largest Community Media Collaboration in the U.S., 29 Dec. 2009. Web. 24 Apr. 2010. <http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/29/anti_mining_activists_killed_in_el>.

"Mines and Communities: El Salvador: International NGOs Condemn "strategic Targeting of Mining Opponents"" MAC: Mines and Communities. Mines and Communities, 22 Feb. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2010. <http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9942>.

Montalvo, Geovani. "El Salvador: Assassinated Anti-Mining Leaders Opposed Gold and Silver Exploitation." CENSORED NEWS. 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2010/03/el-salvador-assassinated-anti-mining.html>.

"Senators Home." U.S. Senate. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>.

Wallach, Jason. "Hitmen Assassinate Prominent Woman Activist in Cabañas; Pro-Mining Violence Continues." CISPES: Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. <http://www.cispes.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=652>.