A week of blockades against the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) continued yesterday (Tuesday) at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, where more than 500 anti-mining protestors attempted to shut down the conference. Boon Wurrung Elder Carolyn Briggs welcomed protestors onto her country, and encouraged all to be respectful of the land they walked … Read More
Media Release
Australian solidarity blockade at BHP
200 protestors at the head office at BHP today blocked entries to doors this morning amid demands for BHP to take greater accountability of its mining operations globally. The protest comes as Ecuador goes into a state of emergency with hundreds injured and at least 5 killed in one of the most serious uprisings Ecuador … Read More
Australian mining companies complicit in unrest
The Rainforest Action Group is deeply concerned about the implications of the State of Emergency declared by Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno on October 3rd. The action gives police and military the power to use extreme force to repress the widespread mobilisation of the populace occurring throughout Ecuador after the implementation of austerity measures known as … Read More
Latin American Church takes a Stand
‘Our Mother Earth is Dying’: Latin American Church takes a Stand for the Amazon September 20, 2019 On Sept 14th this year, as the disastrous fires in the Amazon Rainforest continued to hit international headlines, Ecuador’s new Holistic Ecology and Panamazon Synod released a bulletin entitled ‘Our Mother Earth is Dying.’ This came as a … Read More
SolGold joins Rinehart with trouble in Ecuador
SolGold joins Rinehart with trouble in Ecuador August 6, 2019 SolGold joins Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting as the latest Aussie company to face challenges on their Ecuadorian mining concessions. Illegal miners who were evicted from Rinehart’s concession at Buenos Aires in July, have been active on SolGold concessions in the Imbabura and Carchi provinces, while … Read More
Legal problems cast doubt on BHP’s future in Ecuador
A series of legal cases based on constitutional law have created doubts over BHP’s operations in Ecuador. These court cases highlight the risks for international mining companies who fail to familiarise themselves with their legal obligations under Ecuador’s constitution. Martin Daley, Rainforest Action Group (Melbourne) stated, “It is the fifth time in just over one … Read More
Amazon community denied protection against Chinese Copper mine
Latest court ruling casts renewed doubts on Ecuador’s upholding of its constitutional process amid fresh protests of human rights violations at the country’s largest open-pit copper mine, Mirador. The Amazonian Social Action Community Cordillera del Cóndor Mirador (Cascomi) brought the case against the Ecuador Ministry of Mining, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of the Interior, … Read More
Gina Rinehart’s Mining Concession Problems in Ecuador
Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining (HEEM), a subsidiary of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has been involved in a political minefield in Ecuador for the past year. In mid December 2018, hundreds of members of the Ecuadorian Military were trucked into the town of Buenos Aires, in the northern Imbabura Province in an attempt to curtail … Read More
BHP Electric Car Greenwash
December 17, 2018 Melbourne Rainforest Action Group (MRAG) today released a report detailing the activities of BHP Billiton in South America. The report highlights the company’s poor environmental and social record in a number of locations. Of particular concern is that BHP is now promoting itself as being environmentally responsible by promoting the use of … Read More
Mining disaster possible in Ecuador?
News reports on the 5th of September that mining company BHP has purchased a 6.1% stake in exploration company Solgold for $35m have raised concerns that another mining disaster in northern Ecuador could be possible if Solgold’s Cascabel gold/copper mine is eventually constructed. Environmentalists fear that a repeat of the BHP’s /Samarco tailings dam collapse … Read More