The legal nightmares of having
a mineral extraction economy

A new report by MiningWatch Canada, the Institute for Policy Studies, and the Center for International Environmental Law, “Extraction Casino: Mining companies gambling with Latin American lives and sovereignty” exposes how transnational mining companies file multi-million dollar suits against Latin American countries to challenge key laws and decisions protecting indigenous peoples’ rights, the environment and community health. The companies examined used arbitration particularly where communities are engaged in struggles against the harmful extraction industry. The report examines all 38 lawsuits filed by mining companies against Latin American governments in recent years. Panama might be added to that list, as Juan Carlos Varela lives in holy terror of litigation with foreign corporations but his successor might be different about that. Click here to see the report here in PDF format.

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