Tahoe Announces Kidnapping of 12 Security Contractors in Guatemala; All Contractors Have Now Been Returned Safely
25 Agosto 2018 - 10:34PM
Business Wire
Tahoe Resources Inc. (“Tahoe” or the “Company”) (TSX:
THO, NYSE: TAHO) regrets to announce that twelve of Minera San
Rafael’s unarmed security contract workers were attacked and
kidnapped late in the evening of Friday, August 24, 2018. The
private contractors were unarmed and remained peaceful during the
entire period.
After several hours of being abducted, injured and held at gun
point, the contractors were eventually released and escorted by the
Guatemalan Civil National Police (PNC) back to Jalapa where they
were treated for their injuries and trauma.
The abductors identified themselves as the “Peaceful Resistance
Group of Mataquescuintla.” Earlier in the week, this group of
individuals installed an illegal blockade on a public road at the
entrance of the municipality of Mataquescuintla in the department
of Jalapa, which is about five kilometers away from the Escobal
mine. Despite being a public road, this blockade was stopping all
vehicles on the route to be inspected and is impacting neighbors
and communities in the area.
Jim Voorhees, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tahoe,
commented: “On behalf of everyone at Tahoe and Minera San Rafael, I
would like to express our sincere sympathies and concerns to the
families of the twelve contractors who were abducted and injured on
Friday night. Tahoe condemns violence of any kind in the strongest
possible terms. We are treating these developments with the utmost
seriousness and are taking appropriate measures to ensure the
safety and security of all of our employees and contractors, their
families, and local community members. We have been working
diligently to engage government and community leaders to resolve
the roadblocks in a peaceful manner for more than a year, and we
will continue to pursue these efforts in good faith.”
Lack of legal certainty in the case of Escobal Mine increases
violence
During more than 300 days that have passed without the
Guatemalan Constitutional Court issuing a final decision in the
case of the Escobal mining license, various violent actions have
been carried out, not only against Minera San Rafael workers and
contractors, but also against residents and community members. The
lack of legal certainty has allowed these attacks to occur more
often where, on repeated occasions, there have been reported
attacks on supplier vehicles and helicopters, threats to local
community members and their families and even other kidnapping
attempts. All of these incidents have been reported to relevant
Guatemalan authorities including to the office of the Human Rights
Ombudsman (PDH) to ensure the rights of all Guatemalan
citizens.
Despite these illegal and violent actions, Minera San Rafael
will not abandon its extensive efforts to promote dialogue and
peaceful coexistence in the region, understanding that these
violent acts are being perpetrated by minority criminal groups and
do not represent the views of the majority of the community
members.
Tahoe has engaged numerous stakeholders, including the President
and Vice President of Guatemala, the Ministry of Energy and Mines,
the Ministry of the Environment, Human Rights Ombudsman,
representatives of the Catholic Church and diplomatic missions in
an attempt to resolve the roadblock peacefully. The Company is
committed to the human and civil rights of all Guatemalan people
and supports communities’ rights to freedom of expression and
peaceful assembly in a lawful manner.
About Tahoe Resources Inc.
Tahoe Resources is a mid-tier precious metals company with a
diverse portfolio of mines and projects in Canada, Guatemala and
Peru. Tahoe is led by experienced mining professionals dedicated to
creating sustainable value for all of its stakeholders through
responsible mining. The company is listed on the TSX (“THO”) and
NYSE (“TAHO”) and is a member of the S&P/TSX Composite, the TSX
Global Mining indices and the Russell 2000 on the NYSE.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180825005021/en/
Tahoe ResourcesAlexandra Barrows, +1-775-448-5812Vice President
Investor Relationsinvestors@tahoeresources.com
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