North Africa
Strike at Chinese uranium mine in Niger
Workers went on a 72-hour strike at the Chinese-owned Somina uranium mine in northern Niger, demanding better wages and the release of unpaid bonuses.
Tag: mining
Mexico
Narco-coal: Zetas diversify portfolio
Authorities in Mexico's coal-producing northern state of Coahuila say that the notorios Zetas, bloodiest of the country's warring cartels, have taken over much of the mining industry.
Planet Watch
Arctic Great Game in Alaska missile deployment?
As the Pentagon adds 14 interceptors to its anti-missile system in Alaska, some observers see a design on Arctic resources also sought by competitors Russia and China.
The Andes
Peru: two dead in miners’ protest
A clash broke out as riot troops from Peru's National Police force evicted a group of informal miners from their encampment in northern La Libertad region, leaving two miners dead.
Central America
Honduras: 200-km march protests ‘model cities,’ mining law
Hundreds of campesinos marched from the northern town of La Barca to protest new laws expanding mining and enabling the creation of autonomous “model cities.”
The Andes
Peru: Newmont denies plans to quit Cajamarca
Peru’s Yanacocha mining company, facing an ultimatum from protesters to leave the contested Conga site, denied press reports that it plans to quit gold-rich Cajamarca region.
The Amazon
Peru: Amazon natives broach separatism
Saying justice is no longer possible within Peru, Awajún and Wampis leaders in Amazonas region announced they plan to seek independence or unite their territory with Ecuador.
The Andes
Venezuela: indigenous leader assassinated
Sabino Romero, cacique (traditional chief) of the Yukpa indigenous people, who opposed extractive industries in Venezuela’s Sierra de Perijá, was assassinated in a road ambush.
Central America
Honduras: Lenca communities on ‘maximum alert’
Lenca indigenous communities in Honduras have declared a state of “maximum alert,” pledging to resist hydro-electric and mineral development projects slated for their lands.
The Andes
Peru: police surround Conga occupation
Hundreds of National Police troops have surrounded a protest encampment estabished by campesinos at the site of the Conga mining project in northern Peru.
The Andes
Colombia: rebels attack coal mine amid strike
Colombia’s largest coal miner, Cerrejon, under force majeure due to a work stoppage, was targted in a guerilla attack that left four of the company’s trucks destroyed by fire.
The Caribbean
Dominican Republic: protesters demand review of Barrick contract
Protesters demonstrated against the Dominican government’s deals with a Canadian mining multinational, and with developers claiming titles to properties in an ecological reserve.