Thursday, August 21, 2008

To: embassy1@embaguate-canada.com

Cc: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca

Dear Mr. Francisco Villagran de Leon,

I am emailing you tonight due to my concern with regards to the August 7th murder, in Colotenango, Guatemala, of Antonio Morales. Mr. Morales was active in the struggle for the rights of Mayan people, the defense of natural resources, respect for community referendums, and (an issue most dear to my heart) resistance to open-pit mining. I hope you will instigate immediately an investigation into the death of Mr. Morales. Furthermore, I must ask you to listen to the wishes of Mayan communities: for autonomy, self-determination, and an end to large-scale mining (such as the Canadian-owned Marlin mine in San Marcos) and hydro-electric dam projects.

In the meantime, please enact your powers to protect the life of human rights lawyer Amilcar Pop, and the lives of the members of the Asociación Chrisitiana de Jóvenes. They are in danger.

Furthermore, please take what action you can to pressure Canadian extractive industries to follow the recommendations of the report on the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries.

In the memory of Antonio Morales,