Central America: The myths and realities of gold mining

Mitos y Realidades de La Minería de Oro en Centro-América (The Myths and Reality of Gold Mining in Central America) has been published in Spanish by Caritas El Salvador. Written by Andrés McKinley, the report examines four ‘Grand Myths’ routinely deployed by mining companies and their backers in government, finance and international development institutions. These are: 1. Modern mining employs technologies which protect the environment. 2. Mining generates employment and an economic boom for local communities. 3. Mining generates income for the State and encourages sustainable development. 4. Mining companies respect human rights. While the report focuses on the Central American Isthmus, its arguments can be applied with equal force to mining, and especially gold mining projects throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, as numerous articles published by LAB have shown. Prestige projects highlighted by the report include: Marlin                     San Miguel de Ixtahuacan, Guatemala           Goldcorp (Canada) Cerro Blanco           Asunción Mita, Guatemala                            Goldcorp (Canada) San Sebastian        Santa Rosa de Lima, El Salvador                   Commerce Group (EEUU) El Dorado                   San Isidro, Cabañas, El Salvador                    Pacific Rim (Canada) San Andrés             La Unión Copán, Honduras                            Yamada Gold (Canada) San Martín                     San Ignacio, Fco. Morazán, Honduras            Goldcorp (Canada) Bonanza                 Bonanza, Nicaragua                                      Hemco (Canada) The full report can be downloaded here.