Tahoe mine sets 'terrible precedent' for Guatemala

Guatemala's Constitutional Court ordered the government to immediately hold a community consultation on San Rafael, one of the world largest silver mines and owned by Canada's Tahoe Resources.

The mine has been paralyzed since July of last year when representatives of an indigenous community pleaded for a consultation. Now the consultation process is likely to last for as much as six months. And if Tahoe wins the case it could take months for operations to return to normal.

Business leader Juan Carlos Tefel said that the court's behavior in delaying the decision "destroys the rule of law". The decision, he added would "set a terrible precedent."