One of Mexico’s most outspoken advocates for migrants rights has announced he will temporarily leave the country due to repeated death threats. The news of Father Alejandro Solalinde’s plans came as a heavy blow to the morale of Mexico’s community of human rights activists.

For years, the outspoken priest has operated a shelter in Oaxaca, Mexico for mostly Central American migrants on their way north. He’s witnessed an increase in the dangers associated with the trek as organized crime has taken over immigrant smuggling routes and has spoken candidly about corrupt officials who have allowed criminals to develop a presence in the area.

(audio: Alejandro Solalinde speaks in press conference, reporter interprets)

In a Mexico City press conference, Father Solalinde told reporters that the decision to leave the country temporarily came as a result of orders from his superiors in the church as well as from a series of recent death threats. He characterized the situation in Oaxaca as a state of impunity in which criminals and corrupt officials are working together to leave migrants as unprotected as possible.

Father Solalinde’s shelter is located along a key route used by migrants who move via Mexico’s freight train network. He has documented and publicized cases of mass kidnappings of migrants and has worked closely with Central American organizations formed by relatives of persons who have gone missing while crossing Mexican territory.

Father Solalinde says he will use his time abroad to speak publicly about the dangers faced by migrants in Mexico.

[Transcript of headline produced for May 17, 2012 morning broadcast of CBC News "World Report"]

Much of the international attention which has turned towards Mexico in recent years has come as a result of the so-called drug war. But one aspect which has marked the years since 2006 in resource-rich areas of Mexico has been the number of mining concessions approved for operations. As these permits move from the exploratory to the commercial production stage, an increasing number of communities in Mexico – many of them indigenous – are raising their voices in opposition. One such community is San Jose del Progreso in the southern state of Oaxaca.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Of the hundreds of permits granted to foreign mining companies in Mexico, more than half have gone to Canadian firms. Some of the more contentious mining projects involve operations within indigenous territories. A common complaint in these cases is the lack of community consultation beforehand.

AMBI: reading statement at protest

At a recent protest in front of a state office for foreign investment, indigenous rights activists called on the government to abide by the terms of the International Labor Organization’s Convention 169 and consult with local communities before approving projects within their territories.

Residents of San Jose del Progreso – where Canadian firm Fortuna Silver owns a 55 million dollar mine – say that didn’t happen.

(Bernardo Vasquez audio in Spanish, reporter interprets)

Mine opponent Bernardo Vasquez Sanchez said residents began to notice the then-mayor was holding long, closed door meetings with businessmen in 2006…and that residents were only informed of the plans for the mine once the project was in its exploratory stage.

Vasquez, a college educated avocado farmer, became a lead organizer. On the night of March 15th, he became the second opponent of the San Jose mine murdered this year. He spoke with FSRN weeks before his death and alleged the mine was funding local officials who, in turn, created an armed group to intimidate opponents of the mine.

This is something Fortuna Silver CEO Jorge Ganoza denies.

JORGE GANOZA: “We categorically deny any involvement of the company or its subsidiaries in acts or even condoning any such violence.”

Ganoza told investors during a teleconference this week that the conflict in San Jose pre-dates the arrival of the Fortuna Silver owned mine.

JORGE GANOZA: “What we are aware of is a long, historic conflict in San Jose that is a cause of local struggle. This is not unusual in Oaxaca which is a state marked by local political disputes and land struggle.”

But many San Jose residents say the rift within the community is more recent. Eustacio Vasquez Ruiz says the mine is the root cause of the social division within the town:

EUSTACIO VASQUEZ RUIZ: “Everything started to change when this mining company arrived. It started to divide our people…and I think that’s the aim of these big companies; to divide and conquer. And those of us who have experienced it first-hand can attest to it.”

That statement came during a press conference held in Mexico City last week ahead of a demonstration in front of the Canadian Embassy. During the question and answer session, an audience member from the state of Veracruz stood up to make his own statement.

(Guillermo Rodriguez audio in Spanish, reporter interprets)

The man introduced himself as Guillermo Rodriguez, a member of a newly-formed group which opposes plans for an open pit gold mine near Mexico’s only nuclear power plant. The project is known as Caballo Blanco and the permit belongs to Goldgroup, another Canadian-owned firm. In his short speech, Rodriguez said Bernardo Vasquez’s murder struck a personal nerve because he had travelled to Veracruz just weeks before his murder to share the experiences of the anti-mine struggle in San Jose.

GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ: “We say that Bernardo isn’t dead. He’s been planted and he sewed a powerful seed in Veracruz. And in our most recent meeting of our organization, we determined that we will honor Bernardo’s memory by fighting until the Canadian mine, Caballo Blanco, is eradicated.”

Over the past few of years, opposition to mining projects in indigenous territories has been relatively contained and limited to regional struggles…but the recent murder of activist Bernardo Vasquez seems to be changing that. His death has focused international attention on controversial mines in Mexico and established a concrete connection between previously isolated environmental and indigenous rights movements in southern Mexico.

Bernardo Vásquez and Rosalinda Dionicio in the CPUVO office in San José del Progreso. Photo credit: Dawn Paley

A prominent opponent of a Canadian-owned mine in Mexico has died after armed men opened fire on his car. Bernardo Vásquez was the outspoken leader of a regional movement opposed to a silver and gold mine in southern Mexico. The mine is operated by a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Fortuna Silver. Shannon Young reports from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thirty-two year old activist agronomist Bernardo Vásquez was fatally shot while driving along a rural highway about one hour south of Oaxaca City, Mexico.

Bernardo Vásquez’s brother Andrés and a cousin, Rosalinda Dionicio – both active in the local anti-mine struggle – were also in the car when armed men opened fire. Both sustained serious gunshot wounds and remain in the hospital.

(audio: Leovigildo Vásquez in Spanish, reporter interprets)

Another brother told local reporters on Friday that Vasquez received a death threat about three weeks ago.

Bernardo Vásquez documented the violence of a pro-mine group he said has been funded – and armed – by mining interests since 2009.

(audio: Bernardo Vásquez decribes documentation file – fade under)

Last month, Vasquez showed CBC News a case file containing a list of crimes committed by the pro-mining group which included

Men open fire on residents protesting the installation of infrastructure to pipe water to the mine

photographs of members carrying high-power rifles reserved exclusively for military use. Bernardo Vásquez said his group was planning to turn over the folder and other documents to the Canadian Embassy. He said the state government refused to adequately respond to the January murder of a local mine opponent.

Bernardo Vásquez: “The state can no longer continue to protect these men, especially with all of the evidence we’ve made public. We’ve filed more than twenty criminal complaints against these people and not one case has advanced. It’s clear the state government – or at least its attorney general – is protecting them.”

Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s poorest states and the government actively promotes investment opportunities in the mining sector.

The apparent lack of political will to prosecute violent crimes against opponents of the mine in San José has spanned years and political administrations. Father Martin Garcia, the area’s former parish priest, was brutally attacked in mid 2010, allegedly by members of the pro-mine group; many of whom he could identify by name. No one has been formally charged.

(audio: Father Martín García in Spanish, reporter interprets.)

Andrés Vásquez Sánchez read a spray-painted death threat aimed at his brother, Bernardo in February 2012

Father Martín García says he and many parishioners felt the government should inform and consult with local populations before approving projects within indigenous territories.

Bernardo Vásquez’s organization saw the fight over the local mine as a part of a larger set of demands for greater self-determination and territorial control in Oaxaca; Mexico’s most indigenous state.

Bernardo Vásquez: “The problem with the San José mine isn’t just limited to San José del Progreso. It’s a problem for the whole state of Oaxaca, for the whole nation. It’s practically a war declared on the small towns and their people because government officials, in their eagerness to look productive, are giving away our gold like in times past.”

The gold and silver mine in San José began full operations in September 2011. On its website, Fortuna Silver states it expects the mine to produce “1.7 million ounces of silver and 15,000 ounces of gold” this year.

A spokesperson for the company says it is in touch with local authorities about Vasquez’s murder and says it doesn’t know if his death is connected to his work as an anti-mine activist.

The murder comes as C-323, a bill which would allow foreigners to file tort claims against Canadian mining companies in Canadian courts is before the House of Commons.

Shannon Young, CBC News, Oaxaca.

(NOTE: The above is a transcript of a report produced for the March 17, 2012 broadcast of the CBC Radio program, The World This Weekend.]

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez speaking at a mining opposition event in Xalapa, Veracruz (Feb 25, 2012)

A well-known environmental activist in Oaxaca, Mexico was murdered Thursday night in a highway ambush about an hour south of the state capital. Thirty-two year old Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez – a vocal opponent to a Canadian-owned mining project – was shot multiple times in the chest when armed men attacked his car along the road which connects his hometown, San Jose del Progreso, to the regional hub of Ocotlán.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

His brother, Andrés Vásquez and his cousin, Rosalinda Dionicio – both active in the local struggle against the mine – have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Bernardo Vásquez died upon arrival at a regional clinic.

The men responsible for the attack have not been identified, but the organization Vásquez led – the Coordinating Committee of the United Towns of the Valley – has meticulously documented the actions of a group they say has been funded and armed by mining interests.

In a recent interview with FSRN, Bernardo Vazquez Sanchez described how in 2006, the then-mayor of San Jose del Progreso signed a deal with mine representatives without consulting the town’s residents.

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez: “We found out about it in 2008. That year was marked by demands and peaceful protests against the mayor. In 2009, with the occupation of the mine, the pressure became more notable. And it was in May of 2009 when we found out about the pro-mine organization. And it was that month when we began to see armed men who belonged to said organization. Those armed men who belonged to that organization, are now part of the town governing council and they’ve now brought in guys from other towns to act as their gunmen.” 

Water reservoir in San José del Progreso

The mine in San José del Progreso operates as Minera Cuzcatlán, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Fortuna Silver.

Bernardo Vázquez showed FSRN a case file of documentation, including photographs of men with weapons reserved exclusively for military use. His group had identified the men by name and – in the face of state government inaction – had planned to deliver the evidence to the Canadian Embassy.

While opposition to the mining project is a main thrust of the Coordinating Committee of the United Towns of the Valley, it’s part of a larger set of demands for greater self-determination and territorial control in Oaxaca; Mexico’s most indigenous state.

Again, Bernardo Vazquez Sanchez.

Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez: “The problem with the San José mine isn’t just limited to San José del Progreso. It’s a problem for Oaxaca. It’s a nationwide problem. It’s practically a war declared on the small towns and their people because government officials, in their eagerness to look productive, are giving away our gold like in times past.”

The gold and silver mine in San José began full operations in September 2011. On its website, Fortuna Silver states it expects the mine to produce “1.7 million ounces of silver and 15,000 ounces of gold” this year.

Although opposition to the mine will likely continue, Thursday night’s murder of Bernardo Vásquez Sánchez means local movements of mostly indigenous small farmers in the Ocotlán Valley have lost a young and committed leader.

[This report was produced for the Friday, March 16, 2010 broadcast of FSRN]

ANCHOR: [STEAM WHISTLE] That’s the sound of a distinctly Mexican invention. As you can hear, it has fire in its belly and it whistles to blow off steam. It cooks, transports, and advertises its product…all at the same time. Reporter Shannon Young takes a closer look.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

El Llano park in Oaxaca City is just one of the places in Mexico where you’re likely to hear this…

[DISTANT WHISTLE IN PARK]

That’s the sound of steam-cooked plantains and yams…well, the sound of the cart they travel in. The cart itself is an icon of street vendor ingenuity.  Its owner, Cesar Perez, explains.

CESAR PEREZ (voiceover): “This cart works with steam. I’m gonna make the sound for you. This sound is to let people know that the yam and plantain vendor is on the way. (STEAM WHISTLE sound)

The whistle works in the same way as an ice cream truck’s jingle. The sound projects for a couple of blocks, giving customers time to collect spare change and head outside by the time the vendor passes by.

[PARK TONE]

Local people call this invention a “camotero cart,” after the Spanish word “camote,” or “yam”. The cart resembles a rustic locomotive. It has a metal barrel that lies on its side, with a hole cut on the outer end. That’s where Perez feeds the wood that fuels the fire. The plantains and yams rest in a drawer situated over the flames. The smoke escapes through a sheet metal stovepipe on top.

The fire just keeps the food warm. Perez says the actual cooking process occurs before he hits the street.

CESAR PEREZ (voiceover): “You have to let the food cook to a certain point. Because if it only cooks a little bit, it tastes nasty. So it needs 2 hours of cooking before I leave home in order for it to be done.”

The end result is yams and bananas with a soft texture and smoky baked flavor that’s not easy to duplicate at home.

Meanwhile, every so often, water from an upside-down soda bottle releases steam into the cart’s cooking chamber. That keeps the food from drying out. The steam also creates the distinctive whistle sound when it escapes from the metal barrel through a special tube.

CESAR PEREZ (voiceover): “When the water falls on the hot part of the tube, it’s expelled at fairly high pressure which is what produces the little noise.”

The whistle on Perez’s home made cart has a pitch that’s a bit lower than others – something he did on purpose.

CESAR PEREZ (voiceover): “It’s different because each person has their own sound. That way they know it’s Mr. Cesar’s cart, of Mr. Julio’s or Gilberto’s – they know how to distinguish the sounds sometimes.”

The sound of the steam whistle is something that’s ingrained in the memory of Bernardo Sanchez, a young man who walks up to purchase one of Perez’s plantains.

BERNARDO SANCHEZ (voiceover): “Ever since I was little, I remember buying plantains from the cart that passed by my house. Now it’s a matter of tradition. Every time we hear this type of whistle, we know that they’re the baked plantains.”

The carts are also powered by traditional methods: some are pushed by hand and some use front-loader cargo tricycles. Either way takes effort, since a cart can weigh well over 100 pounds. Perez prefers the tricycle model, saying it allows him to cover more ground with less exertion.

[PARK SOUND, KIDS PLAYING]

After a couple of sales, Perez makes a wide loop around the park then heads off on the city streets, whistling along the way.

[DISTANT WHISTLE, PARK SOUNDS]

For the World Vision Report, I’m Shannon Young in Oaxaca, Mexico.

(NOTE: This segment originally aired on the January 9, 2010 program of the World Vision Report.)