Seven organizations (Earthworks, U.S., Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) – Global Economy Program, U.S., Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network, Canada, MiningWatch Canada, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA), Observatorio de Industrias Extractivas, Guatemala and Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala (PAQG), Québec, Canada) sent a letter to Goldex Resources regarding recent claims of illegal mining in El Pato project, southern Guatemala, reportedly owned by Goldex Resources. The local community has reported threats against land and environmental defenders who have been denouncing these activities. The organizations ask the company to publicly clarify its relationship with the companies involved with extracting minerals from the El Pato project area, the company’s relationship with the landowners on whose land this illegal operation has been taking place, and to put a stop to these illegal activities.

We invited the company to respond but it did not.