A Day Out

In the midst of our training week we enjoyed a full day outing into the Departmento de Cabanas. We spent hours on the bus in travel and were gone about 12 hours. We learned from several experts about the resistance to the Pacific Rim mining company that is going on in the region. Pacific Rim is a Canadian company who wants to mine here for 4-6 years but the people of the region are still suffering pollution, birth defects, cancers, etc. from the mining that went on in the area 60 years ago and are not anxious to worsen the pollution that already exists. The company has opened an office in the US to try to gain rights granted through CAFTA that are not available in Canada. A committee of the World Bank has been trying to determine whether or not the company is truely American or Canadian . I'm sure if you google "Pacific Rim" you will find more information than you want to know. We visited an NGO called ADES which is helping to organize the resistance to the company and also spent time with an attorney that is heavily involved in the fight to keep the mine out.

Hector had a terrifying story to tell about the threats and even murders that have marked the efforts to promote the mine. He, too, can be found on Google but, unfortunately, I can't remember his last name. You might run into him when you google "Pacific Rim".

We learned that 97% of the rivers in El Salvador are polluted and then we passed by the peaceful, often repeated scene of people bathing and washing clothes in those very dirty waters. Of course, that is the only source of water they have and that is why some are so determined to try to keep them from further pollution.

Part of the resistance is trying to promote the traditional work of agriculture as the best alternative to mining. Hector took us to visit a model farm cooperative that is getting started in the area.

We also visited a hen/laying cooperative that is just getting underway. The hope is that if people have alternative methods to make a living they may not feel as desperate to bring in the mine. This really is a sadly abused country in many ways and their resources are often used by others for their own benefit rather than the benefit of the country.

I'm staying up to write this blog tonight even though I'm very tired because it will probably be the final entry for a while. Tomorrow we'll be at election training all day and will dance the night away at a fiesta tomorrow night....well, maybe just a little of the evening. Then Friday we will pack a light backpack and go out to our community for the observation process. We have been assigned to Illobosco and will be staying in that community Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. The election is on Sunday and we will be "on duty" from about 5AM until possibly 2AM. Because of new election procedures this year they really want us to stay with our community until all the votes have been tabulated and sent in which could take quite some time. We'll return to San Salvador on Monday to collect our observations and write our report. That will be the next opportunity to write. Wish us luck!