Regional rights body hears claims of violence near Canadian-owned mines

Witnesses from six countries told the Inter-American Commission that defenders face threats and force around Canadian mining projects. Its power is limited.

On Oct. 27, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights held a hearing in Panama on harms tied to Canadian mining companies in Latin America. Witnesses came from six countries. Four of them alleged attacks on environmental defenders connected to Canadian firms' operations.

Marco Manobanda, an Indigenous fish-farmer from Las Naves, Ecuador, described deforestation and water contamination near the El Domo copper and gold mine. The mine is owned by two Vancouver-based companies, Silvercorp Metals and Salazar Resources. Advocates say Ecuadorian military and police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a peaceful protest in June 2025, injuring several people. Manobanda alleged continued military presence, raids and harassment, and said more than 30 people have faced criminal charges. From Colombia, Mayerly López described escalating threats against opponents of Aris Mining's Soto Norte gold project near the Santurbán páramo, which she said supplies water to two million people. She said defenders have been publicly linked to armed groups on pamphlets and social media.

This matters for security and for the commons. Water and forests stay protected only if the people who defend them can speak without being targeted. Global Witness counted 39 killings in Colombia last year, nearly half of the victims Indigenous, and has ranked Latin America the deadliest region every year since 2012. Canada is home to about half of the world's publicly listed mining and exploration companies, so its rules shape much of this industry. Canada also eliminated its corporate-accountability ombudsperson, CORE, about four months before the hearing.

Civil society witnesses asked for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence law, independent accountability mechanisms, better access to redress, and conditions on public financing. The limits are real. Canada has not ratified the American Convention, so the commission can only make non-binding recommendations. The allegations come from witnesses and advocates and were not independently verified. Silvercorp, Salazar and Aris did not respond to Mongabay's requests for comment.

Source: Mongabay