The El Salvadoran government is fighting a legal battle against Pacific Rim Mining, a United States based company. Pacific Rim is suing the country for the amount of $77 million after the El Salvadoran government refused to grant approval for the company’s proposed mining projects. The government refused mining operations due to environmental concerns. In particular, the government was concerned with the increased burden on the country’s single watershed.
Last December, Mennonite Central Committee’s Washington Office signed on to a petition that supported El Salvador during a Washington-based tribunal. The tribunal dismissed Pacific Rim Mining’s claims filed under the Central American Free Trade Act but has agreed to hear the company’s claims filed under El Salvador’s investment law.
You can read more about this situation here: Pacific Rim Mining Lawsuit Saga Prolonged
Photo credit:El Salvador: Communities Oppose Pacific Rim Mining Project