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Published on Friday, 26 September 2014 11:00
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Written by editor
The Awareness Film Night in Sooke
presents the film Defensora.
This award winning film documents the lives and vision of the
Mayan Qeqchi people and their efforts to seek justice in Canadian courts against
Hudbay Minerals. www.defensorathefilm.com
Wednesday October 8th
7pm...9pm
Edward Milne Community School,
6218 Sooke Rd. in Sooke
Admission is by donation.
More info at www.awarenessfilmnight.ca
The story is set along the shores
of Lake Izabal in the community of El Estor, where Canadian mining company
HudBay Minerals established a nickel mining operation on the ancestral lands of
the Mayan Q'eqchi people. The mining company's security personnel have
been accused by villagers of a murder, a shooting-paralyzing and the gang rape
of 11 women. The community has brought their struggle for justice and remedy to
the Canadian courts where they have filed 3... related lawsuits in Ontario courts
against HudBay Minerals for these offenses.
http://www.chocversushudbay.com/
The panel discussion after the
film will be hosted by the Mining Justice Action Committee
(MJAC)
Kay Gimbel is on the executive
of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers Union, representing about 500 ships
officers across the province. He travelled to Guatemala earlier this year
with a mining justice delegation led by Rights Action. Kay visited several
mining sites, including the mining-impacted community of El Estor and met many
of the people who are depicted in this film.
Janet Gray is an
active member of MJAC and KAIROS. She has organized film and discussion events
and other social justice projects and she participated actively in the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. Janet has also visited Guatemala and will bring first
hand experience of the current tensions involved with mining companies
there.
Heather Tufts is a
social justice activist, citizen journalist and independent researcher. She is
an active member of MJAC and has organized many events and programs. As an
educator Heather believes in the "learning and research for change" model and
has engaged with grassroots movements and indigenous communities for many
years.
http://www.mjacvictoria.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/MiningJusticeActionCommittee
We raise awareness and
advocate for change regarding the human and environmental impacts of unregulated
Canadian mining companies operating around the world.
(MJAC)
The Lawsuits
In
Guatemala, there is a long-delayed but on-going criminal case against Mynor
Padilla, former head of security of Hudbay/CGN (owned by Hudbay 2008-2011), for
the murder of Adolfo Ich on September 27, 2009, the shooting-paralyzing of
German Chub that same day, and the shooting-wounding of other local men that
same day.
In
Canada, there are three over-lapping civil lawsuits against Hudbay and CGN (the
"Hudbay Lawsuits/CGN") for the killing of Adolfo Ich, the shooting-paralyzing of
German Chub, and the 2007 gang-rapes of 11 women from the village of Lote
8.
Moreover, CGN is embroiled in another legal investigation related to the
suspected murder of three Guatemalan university students, in early 2012, on CGN
property, by people allegedly employed by CGN at that time. The students were
participating in a formal University del Valle de Guatemala - CGN biology
exchange program that had been going on for years, including when Hudbay owned
CGN. While this suspected murder of the three students occurred after Hudbay had
sold CGN to a Cyprus-based company, many of the CGN employees - management and
employees - were the same as when Hudbay was the owner and in
control.
