The Fight to Ban Gold Mining and Save El Salvador's Water Supply

The Fight to Ban Gold Mining and Save El Salvador's Water Supply
Sunday, 29 June 2014 10:52
By Julia Paley, Foreign Policy in Focus | Report and Video

Gold-digging multinationals are fueling political violence and environmental devastation in El Salvador, but communities are fighting back.

“For us, the mine is death.”

Those words, spoken by the president of a rural grassroots organization, capture the intensity and urgency of the struggle against mining in El Salvador.

Mining has reaped devastating consequences in El Salvador. Toxins from mining operations have made 90 percent of El Salvador’s water undrinkable. Lung and kidney diseases run rampant among miners. Community leaders and activists who resist are hounded and cut down.

The 15-minute documentary Gold or Water: The Struggle Against Metallic Mining in El Salvador dramatically illustrates Salvadorans’ passionate efforts to ward off mining from aggressive multinational firms. You can watch it in full here: