Association of Friends of Lake Izabal (ASALI)

Currently: We accompany Eloyda Mejía, the organisation's Legal Representative and other members of the association in the Department of Izabal during their activities and meetings with communities concerned about mining activities in the area. In the months of January and February 2007 we accompanied Eloyda and ASALI after a tense situation arose between some groups of campesinos that had occupied lands, the Guatemalan Nickel Company (CGN) and state actors who wished to remove them. In the month of March 2007 we have continued to maintain contact with Eloyda and ASALI.

Background: Eloyda Mejia has suffered a number of threats as a result of her work to protect Lake Izabal, in the depaertment of Izabal, East Guatemala, and because of her work informing local residents of the possibledamaging effects of the re-opening of the Guatemalan Nickel Company (subsidiary of Skye Resources Inc.,Canada) mining operation in the area. On 21st February 2004, during a conference on the future of the lake in El Estor, Izabal, the threats against her worsened, which she reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) and theHuman Rights Ombudsman's Office (PDH). In February 2006 Eloyda Mejía's restaurant wall was graffitied with 'Yes to CGN' (Guatemalan Nickel Company). Since the last months of 2006 Eloyda Mejía has had to deal with alegal process accusing her of usurping lands. This legal action is seen by her as a form of persecution andintimidation against her in order to force her to abandon her work against the mining company CGN in El Estor.