TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, JULY 6, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The archbishop of Tegucigalpa accused a Canadian mining company of destroying Honduras´ ecosystem, and the Facussé government of letting the country be exploited.
«How terrible! What ecological destruction Entre Mares causes in the country, which has handed over its patrimony and left new generations without a future,» Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez lamented at a protest that drew 8,000 Hondurans on Wednesday.
He referred to Entre Mares («Between Seas») as «an enterprise that generates bread today and hunger tomorrow.»
Since 1998, Entre Mares has been extracting gold from 14,000 hectares (34,580 acreas) in the Siria valley, about 75 kilometers (46 miles) north of Tegucigalpa.
«I will take my protest to the Church in Canada and the Latin American bishops´ council to foster continental solidarity in order to avoid the environmental destruction of Honduras,» Cardinal Rodríguez stressed.
The cardinal, who was president of CELAM from 1996-1999, led the protest on Wednesday. «I will be the voice of our brothers of Siria, because I cannot be indifferent to the massive destruction of my homeland,» he said.
Archbishop Rodríguez also criticized the government of Carlos Flores Facussé for permitting the exploitation of the country.
«Honduras needs to develop, but not at any cost, and it cannot continue to give away its riches for the crumbs that fall from the table,» the cardinal emphasized.
Entre Mares is a subsidiary of Vancouver, British Columbia-based Glamis Gold Ltd., which also operates in Mexico, Guatemala, Chile and the United States. To date, the company has made no comment.
