Once again, we learn CIDA was working closely with Colombian government officials to amend that country's mining code to favour Canadian investors - that is, loosening environmental regulations, reducing labour protections, and curtailing resource royalties paid by foreign multinationals.
One Canadian mining company's activities in Segovia, Colombia precipitated a protest rally by gold mine workers fearing job losses and pension cuts. A union leader was subsequently shot and badly injured, though there was no direct evidence linking the company to the shooting (there hardly ever is in these cases). But another union representative summed things up nicely by saying: "I'm sure that the best way to ensure the pensions and jobs of our miners is to keep the gold in Colombian hands."
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