In early February, there was a new wave of phone threats and text messages against the members of the Environmental Committee of Cabañas department, in the north of the country. This is one of the richest territories in natural resources in the whole of El Salvador.

Similar threats were the prologue to the murder of anti-mining activists like Marcelo Rivera, Dora Alicia Sorto (8 months pregnant) and Ramiro Rivera in 2009. But neither the police authorities nor the judiciary have taken action to find and try the people responsible for these murders.

Members of the Committee and of Cesta-Friends of the Earth El Salvador explained this in a press conference. They support the resistance in Cabañas.

Priest Neptali Ruiz, member of the Environmental Committee, has received death threats since last February 8. He said that the threat of those killed in 2009 is still there. “If they did it then, why wouldn’t they do it now?”, he wondered. “We are land managers” he said stressing that the role of the organization is only to defend the rights of Mother Earth and of the peoples involved in this struggle.

The members of the Committee faulted the Attorney General and the National Police beforehand in case new crimes take place, since they have not continued investigating the murders, despite evidence produced by the victims.

Francisco Pineda, chair of the National Environmental Committee of Cabañas, said it is necessary to find the people who planned this crime. Unless we do that, the threats and murders will continue in the department.

The Vice-chair of the Committee, Alejandro Guevara, claims that since he began his social and environmental activism against these types of mining projects, he began having problems.

Guevara also received threats, theft and insults. “This storm is not over yet. We still have to see how many people it takes with it”, he said angered.

The chair of CESTA-Friends of the Earth El Salvador, Ricardo Navarro said “We believe this obviously has to do with mining exploitation. We blame all the people who benefit or want to benefit from mining in the country for what might happen, including politicians in Congress who support it”.

He said the international community is alerted about the case in Cabañas department, so the Salvadorean state is in the crosshairs of environmental and human rights organizations also outside El Salvador.

Photo: jerhard.org