CISPES Monthly Call-In Day TODAY - December 9, 2009

JOIN HUNDREDS ACROSS THE U.S. AND CANADA:  TELL PACIFIC RIM TO DROP ITS DISGRACEFUL LAWSUIT AGAINST EL SALVADOR!!!

Help us reach our national goal of 200 calls by picking up the phonetoday  to tell Pacific Rim - the Canadian gold mining firm - that wewill not stay silent while the company uses the U.S.  Central AmericanFree Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) to extort El Salvador.

Over 100 people have already pledged to call in today for the first Pacific Rim Monthly Call-In Day!

In the department of Cabañas, El Salvador, communities have beenprotesting against a proposed gold mining project by Pacific Rim. Theirconcern? That cyanide used to extract gold would poison El Salvador’slargest river, the primary source of drinking water for millions in thecountry. Their protests were strong enough to shut down the El Doradogold mining site.  In 2007, the Ministry of Environment denied PacificRim’s permit to drill for gold.

Having been cornered by the formidable community resistance, the company is now suing the Salvadoran government for $77 million in “lost profit” (read more about the Pacific Rim lawsuit), How can they do this?!  CAFTA protects the “rights” of corporations over national laws that safeguard workers and the environment. Chapter 10 of the agreement gives private foreign investors the “right” to sue for “profit infringement” and extort millions of dollars from governments like El Salvador.

Even more worrisome, the communities in resistance to the El Dorado mine have been plagued by political violence, death threats and kidnappings.

During CISPES’ October Week of Action to kick-off the Stop the Suits! campaign, we flooded the CEO of Pacific Rim’s phone line with hundreds of calls.  Activists from the Pacific Northwest converged on Vancouver, British Columbia, bringing the message of the Salvadoran anti-mining movement to Pacific Rim’s swank corporate office.

Just last week, the Salvadoran mining resistance amped up its efforts to expose Pacific Rim’s mining disgraceful plans with a sophisticated, nation-wide advertising campaign to inform the country about the lawsuit and harmful impacts of metallic mining.

We must make sure Pacific Rim knows we haven’t forgotten its reprehensible actions—especially now, a month after the terrible destruction of Hurricane Ida, which left $343 million in damages.  As the country began its reconstruction efforts with the drained coffers inherited from past governments, Pacific Rim had the nerve to donate hurricane relief funds while actively suing the Salvadoran government for at least $77 million!

Today CISPES is kicking off our Monthly Call-In Days to CEO Thomas Shrake to demand Pacific Rim drop its outrageous lawsuit—join in and make your call today!

CALL Pacific Rim Headquarters today -- from the U.S. 1- (888) 775-7097 or from Canada (604) 689-1976 -- and leave a message with the corporate secretary (see call script below).

You can also email CEO Thomas Shrake directly.

After you make your call, send an email to [email protected] to let us know if you got any response and to help us keep better track of how many calls.  Also, keep an eye out for action alerts for the future call in days in the coming months!

Use the following script to contact Thomas Shrake, CEO and President of Pacific Rim:

To call from the U.S. dial 1- (888) 775-7097, or from Canada (604) 689-1976, then leave a message for the corporate secretary:

1. Hello, I am calling to urge President and CEO Thomas Shrake and the Board of Pacific Rim, to drop the lawsuit you filed against the government of El Salvador.  Local and national civic organizations have been actively opposing the El Dorado mine since 2004.  Salvadoran environmentalists, economists and social movement leaders have roundly rejected the mine, and now this outrageous lawsuit, on a number of grounds.

2. Choose 1 or 2 of the following points.

       · Environmental: Salvadoran community activists and environmental organizations have consistently denounced the devastating environmental impacts that would result from the El Dorado mine. The mine would contaminate the river that serves as the primary source of drinking water for the majority of Salvadorans and use over 10,000 gallons of water a day.  All this in a country where 30% of the rural population lacks access to potable water.

       · Trade justice: The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the basis for Pacific Rim’s lawsuit, was widely opposed throughout the U.S. and Central America. Citizen advocacy groups in El Salvador charge that CAFTA is unconstitutional and have brought the case before their Supreme Court.  As CAFTA’s legitimacy itself is in question, Pacific Rim’s lawsuit appears even more bogus.

       · Economic: According to economic experts, the mine provides no long-term economic benefit for El Salvador, only for Pacific Rim. The gold mining industry contributes only 0.04% to El Salvador’s GDP while foreign companies like Pacific Rim plan to take away millions in profit.

       · Human rights: I have heard first-hand accounts of horrible political violence against community members in Cabañas who have actively opposed the El Dorado mine. Even if Pacific Rim did not directly instigate this violence, the murder of Marcelo Rivera, and the attempted assassinations of Father Luis Quintanilla and Ramiro Rivera are undoubtedly a result of Pacific Rim’s presence. The fact that people are risking their lives to fight against El Dorado shows just how unwelcome gold mines are and how disgraceful this lawsuit is.

       · Sovereignty: This lawsuit infringes upon the rights of sovereign governments to protect the interests of their people as they see fit.  Each country has the right to determine how its land is used, as well as the fate of its natural resources. Your lawsuit tramples on those rights.

3. It is shameful that Mr. Shrake is willing to wreak profound economic damage on an entire nation, for the financial gain of his company—particularly now following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida, a time when the country is in great need of resources for reconstruction efforts expected to cost over $300 million.  These lawsuits will hit the poorest people in El Salvador the hardest. If Mr. Shrake has his way, much-needed funding for post-hurricane reconstruction and social programs like health care, food and housing will go directly into the pockets of your shareholders.

For these reasons, I again urge you to withdraw the disgraceful lawsuit that Pacific Rim has filed against El Salvador.