"Canada miner apologizes for violating Guatemala protesters' rights", 31 Jul 2019

A Canadian mining firm has apologized after reaching an agreement with demonstrators shot and wounded while protesting the company's Guatemalan gold and silver mine, according to statements Tuesday from both sides...The protesters' lawyers said a group had assembled at Tahoe's Escobal mine in southeastern Guatemala in April 2013 to demonstrate against the "lack of community consultation on the project" when mine security shot at the group in an effort to break up the gathering...In a separate statement, Pan American Silver acknowledged protesters' human rights had been violated...A 2017 decision by the British Columbia Court of Appeal meant the plaintiffs could have their civil case heard in Canada instead of Guatemala, because of the "real risk that the Guatemalan protesters would not get a fair trial in their own country," the statement from the plaintiffs' lawyers said.The Supreme Court in Canada -- one of the world's major mining nations --had then refused to hear a final appeal from Tahoe on that matter. Both groups said the subject was now closed... "This is an important victory...," said one of the plaintiffs..."It vindicates our right to protest and to continue our resistance against mining operations in our community."