Another mining critic assassinated in Latin America

Another critic of a Canadian mining company has been murdered in Latin America by someone with links to the company.  On Sunday, Ramiro Rivera Gomez was gunned down in El Salvador.

Rivera was a leader in the resistance to Canadian mining company Pacific Rim Mining Corporation, which has been trying to secure permits for its El Dorado gold mine in Cabanas.

This was not the first time Rivera suffered physical attacks by individuals connected to Pacific Rim. In August, he was shot eight times in the back in front of his house. He identified one of his attackers as Oscar Menjivar, who has relationships with local mayors in favour of opening the El Dorado mine.

Nor was this an isolated incident of violence with respect to the company's activities in the region. In June, the body of environmentalist Gustavo Marcelo Rivera Moreno was found in a well, with signs of torture.

Two weeks ago we reported at length on the murder of Mariano Abarca by individuals tied to the Canadian mining company Blackfire.