Members of the indigenous Mayan Q’eqchi’ population from El Estor, Guatemala have filed three related lawsuits in Ontario courts against Canadian mining company HudBay Minerals over brutal shootings and rapes at HudBay’s former mining project in Guatemala.
Choc v. HudBay Minerals Inc. & Caal v. HudBay Minerals Inc.
Adolfo Ich Chamán- Photograph by James RodriguezChoc v. HudBay Minerals Inc. – Adolfo Ich Chamán, a respected indigenous Mayan Q’eqchi’ community leader and an outspoken critic of harms caused by Canadian mining activities in his community, was hacked and shot to death by mine company security personnel employed at HudBay Minerals’ Fenix Mining Project near the town of El Estor, Guatemala in September 2009. Learn more .
Chub v. HudBay Minerals Inc. – German Chub was brutally shot in an unprovoked attack on the same day and by the same mine company security personnel who shot Adolfo Ich. German was left a paraplegic by the shooting and has lost the use of his right lung. German announced his lawsuit in December 2011. Learn more .
Community of Lote Ocho
Rosa Elbira sits in the remains of the house where she was assaulted
Caal v. HudBay Minerals Inc. – On January 17, 2007, Rosa Elbria Ich Choc, Margarita Caal Caal and nine other women from the community of Lote Ocho were gang raped by mining company security personnel, police and military during the forced removal of their village and families from their ancestral lands. This forced eviction was sought by Canadian mining company Skye Resources, which intended to clear the land for its Fenix Mining Project. Skye Resources was bought by and later merged with HudBay Minerals to form one company. As a result of this merger, HudBay is legally responsible for all of the legal wrongs and liabilities of Skye Resources. Learn more.
UPDATE: In September 2011, HudBay Minerals sold the troubled Fenix Project to a Russian company called the Solway Investment Group. The lawsuits will continue against HudBay despite the sale. See statement regarding the sale.