Mining threats in San Agustín

For several months there have been rumors that the open-pit mining operation in San Andrés, La Unión, Copán, was hoping to expand its operations in the corridor between the mine and San Agustín, Copán.

On May 10, notices began circulating in Facebook that there was a real chance of mining coming to the forest reserve El Quetzal, which is about five kilometers from San Agustín.

The mayor of San Agustín began getting messages and calls about this, but he didn’t really know anything about this. Last Tuesday, the office of the Environment of the municipality of San Agustín got a note date May 14, to come to a meeting in La Unión, Copán, on a project.

Even though there was no confirmation of a mining concession on the El Quetzal mountainside, the mayor called a Town Meeting (cabildo abierto) for Sunday afternoon at 1 pm. Word spread and the town hall was filled to overflowing.

The mayor told what he knew and what he had discovered. He also had gone to an office in Tegucigalpa and, from there, sent a message of the opposition of the municipality to mining on El Quetzal Mountain.

After some opening words, he asked the attendees if there was anyone in favor of a mining project. No one raised a hand. Then he asked who was against; the opposition was overwhelming.

He talked more and then had two of the owners of land on the mountain come forward. One, an evangelical pastor who had worked for eleven years in the mining industry was clearly opposed to the project. He also proceeded to share his opinion strongly opposed to mining and the dangers he sees coming from the mining industry.

The other owner also is opposed to the mining project, though not as vociferously as the pastor.

The mayor talked about two possibilities to prevent mining. The first is a formal legal definition of the land as a national reserve(check); the other is going forward for a water project from water sources on the mountain. The two landowners were a bit skeptical of one of the mayor’s proposals, but finally they agreed to sit down later this week to work out details and disagreements.

One of the congressional representatives from the department of Copán, who had been mayor of San Agustín, was there and also expressed concern. He contacted a government official of GEOMIN and will meet with him in the near future. The government official had no knowledge of any concession that had been granted during his time as director. There is, however, I found out and shared with the mayor, a concession for exploration.

The pastor of the parish of Dulce Nombre, Padre German Navarro, also spoke, in opposition, noting the local church's concerns about mining. (He did not  mention the bishop's letter on mining, which can be found in translation here.)

Many questions remain but I find myself somewhat hopeful. First of all, I was glad to see that great turnout for the town meeting. Secondly, the opposition of the mayor and of two landowners is a good sign; interestingly, both are members of the governing National Party. However, since there are some areas of disagreement on what to do, I have a concern that the mining industry will try to find a way to exploit the divisions in order to get its way.

The area is a treasure. There are trees there that are centuries old. One tree is so large that not even seven people can encircle it. It also is a great source of water, which is becoming an ever more serious concern here in Honduras. In addition, there are birds and animals of many species there.

As a follow up, I met with parishioners in the Social Ministry on Tuesday. We discussed the situation and we will try to inform people of the situation and prepare materials on the church’s social teachings regarding mining and use of natural resources.

Providentially, Pope Francis had sent a letter to a meeting on mining. I have not yet found a Spanish translation. The English is available here. But there are three points that summarize his concerns, that I posted in Spanish at the meeting.

1.     Mining, like other economic activities, ought to be at the service of the entire human community…

2.     Mining ought to be at the service of the human person, not the reverse…

3.     We ought to encourage the implementation of a circular economy, even more in the field of mining activities.

The Social Ministry would like to plan a pilgrimage and Mass to the site – to show our prayerful concern for the preservation of this treasure.

May God help us in this endeavor.

Praying to the true God in face of the idol of gold

The community of Azacualpa in the municipality of La Unión, Copán, is in the middle of a serious controversy. The mining company wants to move the cemetery because there is a vein of gold under it. Some have agreed and been paid by the mining company to allow the removal of the bodies, but some have continued resisting. For now, the mining company is prevented by a judicial action from continuing the removal of remains from the cemetery

But the situation is critical. In early September the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán released a strong statement against the situation of Azacualpa and the continuing mining in the diocese, especially the mining which has caused such devastation to the area – deforestation, destruction and contamination of water sources. To make visible the support of the diocese for the people, the Santa Rosa de Copán bishop, Monseñor Darwin Andino, went to preside at a Mass in Azacualpa on Monday, October 29.

GETTING TO AZACUALPA

When we met the bishop and the other priests in Cucyagua, we heard that mining supporters were blocking the road. When we reached the new town of San Andrés Las Minas, the parish priest of the area spoke with the police and they escorted us up to Azacualpa.

As we passed the curve up to the town, we saw a grand crowd of supporters screaming at us, but we passed through safely. 

But just past the turn, we stopped, seeing a large group of people who were hidden in the forest. They came out and filled the bed of one of the pickups. They had hidden from the crowd of angry supporters but wanted to come with us to Mass.

THE MASS

The Mass was celebrated beside the church. There were probably about 150 or more people there and we – the bishop, eleven priests, and a deacon (me) – accompanied them.

Providentially, the first reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4:32-5:8) spoke strongly of greed.

“no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.”

THE BISHOP'S HOMILY

Monseñor Darwin Andino, the bishop of Santa Rosa de Copán, spoke strongly.

He asked the people who was here first, the community or the mining company. The community, of course, responded the people. He then spoke of the Machiavellian efforts to divide the people in order to conquer them.

He emphasized that the church is not against development, but for integral development, that develops the whole person and the whole community.

His strongest words were framed in terms of the reading from Paul to the Ephesians. Henoted the motive of avarice, which is, in Paul’s word, idolatry. The mining companies want to remove the bodies from the cemetery in order to extract the gold, but, as the bishop said,

“More valuable [than the gold under the cemetery] is what is above – the people buried there. For greed and avarice, for love of money, it doesn’t bother us [the mining company]to destroy a mountain and to damage water.
For they only think of their money – money which is dirty (cochino), damned (maldito), and stained with blood (manchado de sangre)".

He condemned the money of the mining companies and also mentioned the killing of environmentalists for defending the environment.

He also urged them to continue their struggle and to realize the presence of the church with them.

“Be courageous. I invite you to not bend your knees, be strong.”

A part of the homily can be found here on You Tube.

THE PROCESSION

After Mass, the people walked in procession to the cemetery, led by a cross carried by three young men. 

The bishop and the priests accompanied them in their vestments. The people sang and at one point began to pray the rosary.

As we approached the road up to the cemetery we saw a small crowd of supporters of the mining company. Thanks to the presence of the police we were able to pass by, with no violence. But as we prayed and sang, the mining company supporters screamed at us. There was not a confrontation but a parting of the seas of anger with prayers and hymns.

In the cemetery

When we arrived at the cemetery, we passed through an empty space where a tomb had been and went to a spot in the middle of the cemetery.

I looked around at some of the above ground tombs – some still contained the coffins of the dead, but others had obviously been taken away.

We stood around and finished the rosary while young men prepared a hole for the cross. 

I noticed at least one older man grieving.

At one point I noticed that the bishop was holding what were bones of the dead. They had been found scattered at the back of some graves. Later someone picked up another bone, just in front of me.

The bishop then noted that Catholics respect the bodies of the dead. We hope for the resurrection and so we need to respect their remains. And so he buried the bones beside where the cross would be erected.

We prayed as the cross was erected and waited, praying and singing, as the young men filled in the hole. I was moved and went to help move the dirt, praying in penance for all that the nations of North America had done to bringing such pain and injustice on the poor here in Honduras. The mine is run by a Canadian corporation, but Honduras has suffered many decades of control and exploitation by US governments and corporations.

After the cross was erected, the bishop offered a space for the people to speak. One articulate man recalled the prayer of Agur, a passage from Proverbs 30: 7-9:

Two things I ask of you… Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; lest, being full, I deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.

Looking down on the devastation

After praying in the cemetery, we were led to a place where we could look down on the mining operations. What tremendous use of resources to take the gold out of the earth.

As we were walking back, a young twenty-five-year old man told me how he had worked in the mine for a time but began to feel very uncomfortable with that kind of work. He quit his job, despite having a wife and two kids. What an example of courage and of conscience. These small acts of a man are signs of the power that is in each person, the power of that small voice of God we call conscience.

I think he is not alone. As I looked around at Mass and in the cemetery, there were a few spies. But there were even more young men and women present, praying and singing and participating in what must be risky for them. I admire their simple, yet profound, courage.

The struggle will surely continue, but it was good to be present where the church offered a sign of accompanying the people – not in a partisan political way, but as fellow human beings seeking dignity, justice, and respect for all.

I was glad to be there and I pray for these people and their community, in the midst of trials and sufferings.

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More photos can be found in this album on Flickr.