Help Máxima Again

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Máxima Acuña has been hospitalized after an attack by security guards allegedly working for a controversial mining development.

We have supported her to stop a huge mine from being built in her backyard. Now we need to demand that a major investor to divest from these mining companies.

Sign the petition

A,

Peruvian farmer Máxima Acuña has been hospitalized after an attack by private security guards allegedly working for mining companies Newmont and Buenaventura.

For years, these same companies have been working together to build a giant gold and copper mine on Máxima's land. Thanks to Máxima’s heroism they failed. But she has paid a price -- she’s been hospitalized by security guards and sued by the companies.

SumOfUs has supported Máxima’s fight against these mining giants time and time again -- and her heroism has been recognized, she won the “Green Nobel” for her leadership to stop the gold mine a few months ago.

We need to make sure that Newmont and Buenaventura stop their bullying, so we are going after them where it will hurt them most: their pocketbooks. That’s why we are asking Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s largest investment firm, to denounce the violence now and divest from the companies.

Ask BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to cut ties with Newmont and Buenaventura over the companies' record of abuse of Maxima.

Fink is the CEO of BlackRock Investment, a fund that owns huge portions of Newmont and Buenaventura. He has championed long-term value creation versus short-term greed in recent interviews. There is no better time for Fink to put action behind his words and divest from Newmont and Buenavenutra.

This isn’t the first time Newmont have come under scrutiny -- Newmont Mining has a history of intimidation and has gone after Máxima before. The Peruvian courts have sided with Máxima in the past against its dirty tactics. And just last month, Newmont's own contractors released a report saying Newmont's subsidiary ignored international human rights standards, violating internal protocols during its campaign of intimidation and violence.

The campaign we are most proud of at SumOfUs is supporting Máxima in her fight against the big mining companies. Over 160,000 people have asked Newmont to leave Máxima alone after repeated harassment in the last two years. We have raised resources for her support and legal fund. We all cheered and stood by Máxima as she won the "Green Nobel". Now we’re worried for her safety, and we need to take action.

We need to make sure these attacks against Máxima cannot happen again. Please take action now and ask BlackRock CEO to divest from Buenaventura and Newmont Mining now.

Thanks for all you do,

Carys, Angus, Reem, Tara, Lisa, Rosa, and the rest of the SumOfUs team

PS: Máxima is an incredibly tough woman -- but she stands less than 150 cms (less than five foot tall), and is heading into her later years. These attacks are absolutely heartbreaking and SumOfUs is going to do what we can to keep her safe by looking into security measures. If you could contribute to this campaign, please go here.

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More information:

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Champions Long Term Value Creations, Institutional Investor, Oct. 3, 2016
World’s 2nd largest gold mining company’s own investigation shows it violated international standards, and its own, Earthworks, Sept. 28, 2016
Maxima Acuña Profile, Goldman Environmental Prize, Apr. 2016


Last SumOfUs email regarding Máxima from April 2016:

I don’t get to write an email like this every day. We JUST got incredible news that Newmont Mining is indefinitely delaying the environmentally-destructive Conga gold and copper mine in Peru.

This was a difficult and dangerous 5-year battle, led by Máxima Acuña, a woman who the SumOfUs community is so proud to have stood by for the last year. Thanks to her and her friends, the sources for five rivers, four mountain lakes, and hundreds of hectares of wetlands will be safe -- and members of the community won’t lose their homes.

Máxima faced harassment and threats on her life to stop the mine and now she is being recognized for her work. To top off the victory, today Máxima will be awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her tireless work standing up to Newmont. The Goldman Prize, known also as the ‘Green Nobel Prize’, honours ordinary citizens who’ve taken great personal risks to safeguard the environment and their communities -- and Máxima’s tireless work is no exception.

I had the privilege to finally meet Máxima on Saturday, and I was excited to congratulate her for her stunning victory in person.

But our fight isn’t over -- Newmont is still planning lawsuits against Máxima and as of last week, her family continues to be harassed by security contractors.

Support from the SumOfUs community has been critical in helping Máxima's fight. We chipped in tens of thousands of dollars to her legal defense and we helped her friends to travel from Peru to the U.S. to speak out against the security forces harassing Máxima.

Our support has meant the world to Máxima. When her friends told her about the 160,000 of us who had signed a petition to support her, Máxima teared up and said:

"I would like to thank everyone from around the world who signed the petition in support of my case. In truth, I am fighting with my family for something just, to defend my land, whatever it has cost me. For this, I thank you because your support has given me the strength to continue fighting."

Thanks to all these efforts, Newmont’s CEO said that Newmont would not build Conga Mine if the community does not consent.

And he held to his word -- Newmont is now putting the mine on hold indefinitely.

Máxima has been through so much to stop this project, and we know that her fight isn’t yet over. A legal fight continues to play out in the Peruvian Supreme Court, with more appeals and lawsuits a near certainty. The harassment and threats to her life continue -- even after the company announced that it will pull out of the mine.

This fight isn’t not over.

Not until the legal threats are dropped, and security forces leave her alone. This is why her receiving the Goldman prize is so important -- she will now get international coverage and support to continue her fight against huge corporate mining interests.

Let’s make sure that Máxima knows that the SumOfUs community will continue to have her back until the end.

Thank you so much for supporting Máxima in the last year. We are living proof that people power works -- and together we can make the world a better place.

Thanks for all that you do,

Taren, Angus, Emma, Rosa, Jon and the team at SumOfUs


More information:

Maxima Acuña Profile, Goldman Environmental Prize, 18 April 2016


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