"Guatemala advancing consultation at halted Escobal mine", 15 January 2021

...The ministry plans to begin the pre-consultation stage of the process on April 20 following a string of agreements last year, local daily Prensa Libre reported, quoting energy and mines minister Alberto Pimentel. The pre-consultation is expected to take 2-3 months and will be followed by a full consultation. Escobal, acquired by Vancouver-based Pan American in February 2019, has been halted since 2017 due to a roadblock and mining license suspension...Progress had been held up by the change of government last January and the COVID-19 pandemic, Pan American Guatemala managing director Sean McAleer...The process follows International Labour Organization (ILO) convention 169 rules related to the rights of indigenous communities. The 2018 ruling set out a four-stage consultation, starting with a review, now complete, followed by pre-consultation and consultation, which will have to be verified by the supreme court in the fourth stage of the process. Pan American has consistently avoided giving any guidance over the likely timing of the consultation process...