In a hearing held in Panama on October 27, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) received sobering testimony from representatives across six Latin American nations, detailing systemic environmental and human rights abuses allegedly linked to Canadian mining operations.
Canada, which hosts roughly half of the world’s publicly listed mining and mineral exploration companies, has faced long-standing criticism regarding the conduct of its firms overseas. The IACHR hearing served as a high-level forum to examine these allegations, which include large-scale deforestation, water contamination, and violence against environmental defenders in countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina.
Among the witnesses was Marco Manobanda, an Indigenous fish-farmer from Las Naves, Ecuador. He testified that the El Domo copper and gold mine—owned by the Vancouver-based firms Silvercorp Metals Inc. and Salazar Resources Ltd.—has devastated his local environment.
“If this mining continues, they’re going to keep polluting our water, and we’ll run out of resources,” Manobanda stated. “Since we make our living from that land and its resources, where are we supposed to go?” Manobanda further alleged that the project’s presence has brought heavy military intervention, threats, and the criminalization of local residents, with over 30 people facing prison sentences for opposing the mine.
The hearing took place against a backdrop of mounting concern regarding the Canadian government’s oversight of its extractive industries. Four months ago, Ottawa eliminated the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), a watchdog agency specifically tasked with investigating complaints about environmental harm and human rights abuses committed by Canadian companies abroad.
In place of the CORE, the government has directed complaints to the National Contact Point (NCP), a non-judicial grievance mechanism governed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Critics and legal experts argue the NCP is fundamentally ill-equipped to address serious violations.
“The position actually completely lacks teeth,” said Arturo Ezquerro-Cañete, Latin America program coordinator with MiningWatch Canada. “It’s very much geared towards continuing dialogue between the groups but not resolving issues when there’s been very serious documented cases of human rights violations.” Since 2000, only three of the 33 cases handled by the NCP have resulted in formal joint agreements.
During the hearing, Canadian representative to the OAS, Gillian Gillard, defended the current framework, stating that the NCP aims to support “early resolution” and “strengthen corporate due diligence.” However, when pressed by commissioners for details on how Canada independently investigates allegations of abuse or holds companies accountable for international standards, Gillard did not provide a direct answer, instead citing broader governmental initiatives.
Civil society groups and witnesses urged the Commission to issue recommendations calling on the Canadian government to adopt mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. They also requested that public financing, export credits, and investment support for mining companies be made strictly contingent on human rights and environmental safeguards.
For activists on the ground, the situation is increasingly desperate. Mayerly López, a witness from Colombia, testified about the threats facing those who protect the Santurbán páramo—a vital high-altitude ecosystem—from gold mining activities by the Vancouver-based Aris Mining Corporation. She reported that the faces of environmental defenders have been circulated on pamphlets labeling them as linked to armed groups, fueling a climate of fear in a region already documented by Global Witness as the world’s deadliest for environmental advocates.
While the IACHR does not have the power to mandate legal remedies for Canada—as the country has not ratified the American Convention on Human Rights—its non-binding recommendations carry significant weight. As the commission deliberates, communities in Latin America are calling for a fundamental shift in how the Canadian government monitors its corporate interests, seeking an end to an era of unchecked, cross-border extraction that continues to impact their water, land, and lives.
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