Environmental Defenders Testify on Canadian Mining Impacts in Latin America
Six Latin American representatives told the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights that Canadian mining firms are linked to deforestation, water contamination and attacks on activists.
The Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights heard testimony on Oct. 27 from representatives of six Latin American countries who say Canadian mining companies are linked to human‑rights violations and environmental damage.
Four alleged attacks on environmental defenders were part of the accusations presented to the regional agency, which convened in Panama to examine Canada’s obligations regarding its extractive firms abroad.
Canada hosts roughly half of the world’s publicly listed mining and mineral exploration companies, many of which operate both domestically and internationally.
Among the witnesses, Marco Manobanda, an Indigenous fish‑farmer from Las Naves, Ecuador, described the impact of the El Domo copper and gold mine on his community. He said the mine, owned by two Vancouver‑based firms—Silvercorp Metals Inc. and Salazar Resources Ltd.—is causing deforestation and contaminating water sources, threatening both the ecosystem and his livelihood.
“If this mining continues, they’re going to keep polluting our water, and we’ll run out of resources. And since we make our living from that land and its resources, where are we supposed to go?” Manobanda said.
The hearing occurs about four months after the Canadian government eliminated the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), a body created to investigate complaints about human‑rights abuses and environmental harm linked to Canadian companies in sectors such as garment, mining and oil and gas operating outside Canada.
Advocates note that the removal of CORE has left them with limited options to seek meaningful redress.
The Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights is an…
