On both sides of the mine, it tends to be those not benefiting directly from Barrick through jobs or CSR spending that remain openly critical of the company and its operations.
Freddy Espejo, a native of Iglesia, worked as an environmental supervisor at the Veladero mine for six years, but was fired after he raised concerns about cyanide containment pools being too close to rivers, and damage to glaciers at the site, seven kilometres southeast of Pascua-Lama.
Freddy Espejo, a native of Iglesia, worked as an environmental supervisor at the Veladero mine for six years, but was fired after he raised concerns about cyanide containment pools being too close to rivers, and damage to glaciers at the site, seven kilometres southeast of Pascua-Lama.
That was in 2004. He has since watched helplessly as his town has become “colonized.”
“What is Barrick doing playing doctor and teacher? They’re handing out 300 pesos here, a tractor there, to keep people happy. But even those benefiting feel colonized. They just don’t say so in public ... I think it will take an accident for people to wake up. And by then it will be too late.”
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Pascua+Lama+Clean+capitalism+gets+mixed+results/7707128/story.html“What is Barrick doing playing doctor and teacher? They’re handing out 300 pesos here, a tractor there, to keep people happy. But even those benefiting feel colonized. They just don’t say so in public ... I think it will take an accident for people to wake up. And by then it will be too late.”
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