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Article

10 Oct 2012

Author:
Canadian Association of University Teachers

[PDF] RE: Threat to academic freedom at the University of Costa Rica

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...[W]e are writing to strongly urge you to cease your inappropriate attempts to interfere in academic activities at the University of Costa Rica. Professors Jorge Lobo and Jaime Garcia Gonzales have developed a seminar...entitled “The case of Crucitas in the history of Costa Rica: Summary of events and lessons learned” which reviews the history of the closure of the open-pit gold mine in Las Crucitas, which was operated by your company, Infinito Gold and its subsidiary, Industrias Infinito S.A., and was found in 2010 to be illegal -- a decision which was upheld by the Costa Rican Supreme Court in 2011. We are deeply troubled that your company has demanded that the University of Costa Rica remove Professor Lobo from teaching the course and that the content of the course be changed. We are also troubled that you have launched legal actions against Professor Lobo, Professor Nicolas Boeglin, and a University lawyer...We are appalled to see such acts of intimidation against academics carried out by a Canadian-based company and concerned about the message it sends internationally regarding Canadians’ commitment to academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, free expression, and critical debate. [We invited Infinito to respond but it has not yet done so].