12 July 2010 | News | Human rights | Extractive industries
In Memory
A year of the murder of Salvadorean environmental activist against mining
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The resistance to mining in El Salvador has had a high death toll, but the violence has not managed to stop their fight. “This movement does not end, many are still willing to give our lives for it”, said Salvadorean leader Francisco Pineda of the Environmental Committee of Cabañas, during an act in honor of Marcelo Gustavo Rivera, a local leader murdered a year ago.
Last July 9 there was a march on the main streets of San Isidro, in Cabañas, which ended outside the community house of the municipality, the place where Rivera works.
“Every day we have to remember them, when we oppose the mining projects”, said the representative of the Environmental Committee of Cabañas.
The environmental leader murdered twelve months ago was one of the main opposers to Pacific Rim mining corporation, to whom the Salvadorean state denied exploitation licenses in the area. After his death, the murder of Ramiro Rivera Gómez and Dora Alicia Recinos, who was eight months pregnant, followed.
The Environmental Committee of Cabañas and the Association of Friends of San Isidro, together with CESTA- Friends of the Earth El Salvador attended the tribute to the heroes and martyrs of Cabañas, who died as a result of their struggle against mining projects.
