Friday, March 29, 2024

Logo Central America Link

Severe clashes in Guatemala mining protest

Monday, May 29, 2017


A protest in an Indigenous community on the edge of Guatemala’s Izabal Lake against an international nickel mining company ended in clashes Saturday, with at least one resident dead and six police officers injured, local authorities reported. The nickel extraction project is operated by a Guatemalan subsidiary, known as Pronico, of private EU-financed international mining conglomerate Solway Investment, headquartered in Switzerland.

Demonstrators concerned about contamination of Izabel, the country’s largest lake, set up a blockade on a main street, only to be met by a counter protest, sparking clashes between opposing sides. According to local media, tensions broke into gunfire, killing one civilian and injuring six police officers.

Source: Telesur