Continued
Tom Shrake, Pacific Rim's CEO, says the company has
spent more than $70m exploring the silver and gold deposit, called
El Dorado. But Salvadorian officials will not issue the permits to
mine the site. Citing environmental concerns, left-wing lawmakers,
the Catholic Church, NGOs, scientists and grassroots groups have opposed
El Dorado. But it is the pro-business, right-wing ruling party that
is facing a tough presidential election in March (meet the charismatic
left-wing candidate in issue 18) that has stifled the mine's progress
so far.
While there is speculation that winning public support
in March's election is what has motivated the government, Antonio
Pacheco, of the Association for Social and Economic Development, whichis
opposed to the mine, claims that this is not the case.
"Environmental experts have been able to verify
that Pacific Rim's environmental impact study can't be called a serious
study," he says. "Their study can't be approved... because
it would be a mockery of the Salvadorian state."
It's
a minefield: Three more Latin American mining conflicts
01 Venezuela: Another Canadian mining company is
threatening to sue Venezuela after it denied the company permits to
begin mining a gold deposit. Venezuela reportedly offered the permit
to a Russian company.
02 Costa Rica: Nobel Prize winning president Oscar
Arias is under investigation for authorising clear cutting in a forest
reserve to make way for a precious metals mine.
03 Peru: A mining boom has filled the government's
coffers but also led to increased unrest. Last year saw a wave of
protests, strikes and, in one instance, police taken as hostages.
