Not another mine, not another death! Release from the National Anti-Mining Group in El Salvador
Juan Francisco Durán Ayala, of the Cabañas Environmental Committee (CAC), was killed on June 4th and his body wasn't identified until 10 days after his disappearance. He is the fourth environmental activist killed in Cabañas. The last time he was seen by fellow environmental activists was on June 2nd, distributing fliers against metallic mining in Ilobasco in preparation for a public consultation about the mining sector taking place nearby. How many times will we have to repeat it? Metallic mining projects are a serious threat to human life, not only because of the environmental impacts they provoke, but also because of the social destabilization they create in communities. The declarations made by the Director of Investigations of the National Civilian Police, Howard Cotto, in 2009 are public knowledge. Sotto signaled that the spiral of killings and threats against defenders of environmental and human rights in Cabañas are directly linked to the presence of mining projects and mining companies in the region.