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Published on Thursday, 14 July 2016 10:45
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Written by editor
Don’t miss this
FREE screening
of
Flin Flon Flim Flam
An
Investigative
Media production.
Hudbay Minerals‘ worldwide operations and
its human rights and environmental abuses.
Coming to Victoria on Friday July 15th at 7 pm
The Vic Theatre: 808 Douglas St.
The film director John Dougherty
will be in attendance for discussion and Q and A after the
film.
There will be a brief introduction by Mining Justice
Action Committee (MJAC).
Award-winning journalist John Dougherty’s
latest documentary “Flin Flon Flim Flam”, reports on Toronto-based miner Hudbay
Minerals‘ worldwide operations and its human rights and environmental abuses.
The exposé reveals how Hudbay
contaminated its home community in Flin Flon, Manitoba with high levels of heavy
metals from a smelter the company operated for more than 80 years. The
documentary also reports on the impact to residents of Hudbay’s former mine in
El Estor, Guatemala where the company’s security guards allegedly clashed with
residents over land... claims.
A Mayan community leader was shot to
death and another man left paralyzed in the September 2009 violence. Hudbay is
now the target of a three, precedent-setting civil suits in Toronto that have
withstood the company’s attempts to have the case thrown out. The cases are
proceeding to trial. The cases mark the first time a Canadian company is being
held accountable in Canadian courts for the acts of an overseas subsidiary.
Dougherty also reports on demonstrations
and community opposition to Hudbay’s recently opened Constancia open pit copper
mine in Uchucarco, Peru. Residents in the community were beaten and tear gassed
by Peruvian National Police wearing rain gear provided by Hudbay Minerals.
Residents in the rural community claim Hudbay has reneged on its promises to the
community in exchange for rights to the land for the open pit mine.
The film covers in detail the
environmental destruction that would occur if Hudbay Minerals obtains state and
federal permits to construct the Rosemont mine on the north-eastern face of the
Santa Rita Mountains and the threat to Green Valley’s water supply from Hudbay’s
planned groundwater pumping. Hudbay has promised to replace 2 groundwater it
pumps from the Santa Cruz River Valley with Central Arizona Project Canal water.
Critics, however, cast doubt that Hudbay will be able to fulfill its promise as
Colorado River supplies continue to decline.
