Project
Photo: Jaime RojoSaving the San Pedro Mezquital River from a destructive large dam
If built, the Las Cruces Dam would block the San Pedro Mezquital, the last free-flowing river in Mexico’s western Sierra Madre. It would affect fisheries, agriculture, livestock and other activities that nearly 12,000 families depend upon for survival.
The reservoir would flood the village of San Blasito and impact the town of Saycota. It would destroy an indigenous ceremonial center and 14 sacred sites. And it would restrict the water and nutrients that the river carries to Marismas Nacionales—the National Wetlands—which harbors one of the largest mangrove forests in Mexico.
In September 2014, the Mexican government approved the dam, despite the environmental impacts and without consulting and obtaining consent from affected indigenous communities.
The authorization ignored the technical opinions of national authorities, as well as recommendations from international organizations about the threats the project poses to the environment and human rights.
AIDA is working hand-in-hand with local organizations to support the communities affected by the project in their fight to have their rights respected.
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Colombian Court Orders the Suspension of Plan Colombia Spraying
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 26, 2003 CITING RISK TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, COLOMBIAN COURT ORDERS THE SUSPENSION OF THE US-FINANCED SPRAYING OF COCA AND POPPY CROPS OAKLAND, CA/BOGOTA, COLOMBIA – A recent decision by the Superior Administrative Court of Cundinamarca, Colombia, (released to the public on June 25) declared that the aerial spraying with herbicides to eradicate coca and poppy crops violates the Colombian constitutional rights to a healthy environment, security and public health. As a result, the court ordered that the aerial spraying of potent glyphosate herbicides be suspended until the government complies with the Environmental Management Plan for the eradication program, and conducts a series of required studies intended to protect human health and the environment. This verdict supplements earlier declarations by the Colombian Constitutional Court and the State Council, which respectively ordered the suspension of spraying in indigenous territories and full compliance with the Environmental Management Plan approved by the Ministry of Environment. According to Yamile Salinas of the Colombian Ombudsman’s Office, “This ruling recognizes the potential risks that the herbicide and the manner in which it is being applied pose to human health and the environment in Colombia,” She added that, “The application of the precautionary principle is of singular importance because the Court affirms that the significant and potentially irreparable risk posed by the spraying is reason enough to suspend the fumigation program.” “The US Congress has required the State Department to evaluate environmental and health impacts of Plan Colombia. This decision by a court in Colombia must be taken into account by the US State Department,” said Anna Cederstav, staff scientist with Earthjustice and AIDA. “In light of the evidence presented and the court’s clear decision on this matter, the Department of State cannot certify to Congress that the herbicide mixture, in the manner it is being used, poses no unreasonable risks or adverse effects to humans or the environment, or that the herbicide is being used in compliance with the Environmental Management Plan for the program.” She concluded that, “It would be highly irresponsible for the United States to continue the eradication program in contravention of the Colombian court order to suspend the spraying until appropriate public health and environmental protections are in place.” “This court order formally adopts many of the requirements for environmental and human protection that the Colombian Ombudsman and Comptroller General, along with both national and international non-government organizations, have been demanding for years,” said Yamile Salinas. “This decision is a victory for both public health and the environment of Colombia.” Press Contacts: Anna Cederstav, Staff Scientist with Earthjustice and AIDA, (Oakland, CA) tel. 510-550-6700 Yamile Salinas, Colombian Ombudsman’s Office, (Bogotá, Colombia) tel. 571-314-7300 Ext. 2324
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La Oroya Cannot Wait
This publication is the product of a careful analysis of official environmental monitoring reports submitted for the Doe Run multi-metal smelter to the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines between 1996 and 2001. By finally filling the void in public information about contamination levels in La Oroya, this work demonstrates that the right to access information is an essential pillar of citizen participation. Only with these type of facts in hand can civil society protect itself against the powerful interests of giant mining companies like Doe Run. The reader will come to understand the severe health problems and risks suffered by the local population and particulary the children in La Oroya. But the authors go beyond this. They suggest the implementation of corrective and preventive measures that will require the participation of not only the company but also the Peruvian State. These are actions that cannot be postponed if we are to guarantee the human right to health, improve quality of life, and permit development in Peru. The authors also provide a legal analysis of environmental protection in the minerals sector, and recommendations for making this system more effective. Above all, this publication is an invitation to take meaningful and timely steps toward solving the extraordinary environmental and human health problems in La Oroya. Read and download the publication
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