Canadian Embassy Ignored Mining Abuses in Mexico: Report

A new report says Canadian diplomats in Mexico went too far in protecting a Canadian mining company’s interests in a dispute with Durango’s Ejido La Sierrita community.

Ejido La Sierrita community members gather in the shade of a tent in the summer of 2012 during a protest outside Excellon Resources’ La Platosa silver mine in Durango, Mexico. A new report says Canadian diplomats went too far in their attempts to protect Excellon’s interests in a dispute with the Ejido La Sierrita. Ejido La Sierrita

MiningWatch is blaming diplomats at Canada’s embassy in Mexico for overlooking Toronto-based Excellon Resources Inc.’s efforts to avoid redressing a violated land-use contract and repression against a peaceful protest in 2012.

A recent report by MiningWatch cites internal documents obtained from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs through an access to information request by the Ottawa-based NGO and the United Steelworkers Union.

The protest took place in Durango, Mexico, between July and November 2012, and involved Ejido La Sierrita, an agricultural community of 127 landowners who were protesting over poor working conditions and other issues related to Excellon’s La Platosa mine.

Talks between the community and the company had broken down, and the landowners and union workers undertook the protest after filing two formal complaints in Canada alleging serious land and labour rights violations without result.

The embassy offered 'unconditional support' to Excellon 'in order to protect the company's economic interests at the expense of our human rights.'

— Ejido La Sierrita