The state government in Chiapas, Mexico, has shut down the mine of a Calgary-based company that’s embroiled in controversy after Mexican anti-mining activist Mariano Abarca Roblero was gunned down outside his home last month.
Roblero led local opposition to Blackfire Exploration Ltd., and three men linked to the company have been arrested in connection with his murder. One is a current employee, and the other two have done work for the company in the past, says Blackfire president Brent Willis.
However, Willis says the mine is being temporarily shut down because of environmental infractions. "The authorities have not contacted us in any way and they’re not looking at Blackfire in regards to this fatality,” says Willis. “We’re just moving forward. It’s business as usual.” He expects the mine to reopen by Monday.
Maude Barlow, national chairperson for the Council of Canadians, says Roblero’s death “reflects terribly” on Canada, and that it reveals a widespread problem. “There are many cases like this that don’t ever come to light.” The Council of Canadians and other groups are calling on the federal government to pass Bill C-300, a law that would penalize companies involved in human rights and environmental abuses abroad.
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