Mariano Abarca

Mariano Abarca Roblero (1958–2009) was a community activist known for leading opposition against mining by Blackfire Exploration in his community of Chicomuselo in the state of Chiapas in Southern Mexico.

Mariano Abarca
Abarca in Chicomuselo, August 2009
Born1958
Died27 November 2009
Chicomuselo, Chiapas, Mexico
Cause of deathAssassination
OrganizationMexican Network of People Affected by Mining
Known forProtecting against mining

He was assassinated on November 27, 2009 and was survived by his wife and four children.

Career and activism

Abarca operated a small restaurant in Chicomuselo[1] and led the Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining organization.[2]

Abarca led community protests against mining by Canadian mining company Blackfire Exploration that, since 2007, operated the La Revancha (baryte) mine in Chiapas.[3][4] In 2008, he was assaulted by Blackfire Exploration staff.[5]

Assassination

Abarca was assassinated on the night of November 27, 2009 in Chicomuselo in front of his house. He was shot in the head and chest by a man on a motorcycle[6] who was allegedly a Blackfire employee.[7][8]

Abarca had previously been abducted in August 2009, and again received death threats in the week and had filed a complaint against the company[9] one day prior to his death.[10]

Witnesses identified a Blackfire Exploration contractor as the assassin "according to a report sponsored by labor and environmental advocacy organizations".[5]

Abarca was survived by his wife, his two sons and his two daughters.[11]

Aftermath

Three suspects were arrested in connection with Abarca's death, each of them had been employed by Blackfire Exploration at some time.[1]

On July 31, 2019, the Canadian government denied that its embassy in Mexico had anything to do with the coverup of the 2009 his murder. Family members vow to continue the struggle.[10]

In 2021, after the Canadian federal ombudsman refused to investigate his death, Roblero's family appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal.[3] In 2023, with help from the Justice & Corporate Accountability Project, his family escalated the matter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.[4]

See also

References
  1. July 5, Owen Schalk /; Read, 2023 / 7 Min. "Justice for Mariano Abarca". Canadian Dimension. Archived from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
  2. Wells, Jennifer (2019-03-24). "Murder of Mexican mining protester throws spotlight on role of Canada's embassies". thestar.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-08. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  3. "Slain Mexican activist Mariano Abarca's supporters contest federal watchdog's refusal to probe case". The Globe and Mail. 2021-11-08. Archived from the original on 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  4. "Supporters of slain Mexican mining activist take case against Canada to international body". CBC. 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  5. Pskowski, Martha (2019-12-31). "Latin American environmentalists face looming threats of violence". Canada's National Observer. Archived from the original on 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  6. "Anti-Mining Activist Mariano Abarca Assassinated in Chiapas". La Jornada/The Dominion & Media Co-op. December 1, 2009. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  7. "Calgary-owned mine shut in Mexico". CBC News. December 10, 2009. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  8. Baram, Marcus (15 December 2009). "Mariano Abarca, Activist, Allegedly Killed By Mine Workers in Mexico". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  9. "¡CANADA, MINERO, MATASTE A OTRO COMPAÑERO! - Otros Mundos Chiapas". www.otrosmundoschiapas.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-19. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  10. "Canadá se niega a investigar su actuación en la muerte de un activista mexicano" [Canada refuses to investigate its action related to the death of a Mexican activist]. El Pais (in Spanish). Madrid. July 31, 2019. Archived from the original on August 1, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  11. Frabes, Sare (2023-06-08). "Denuncian a Canadá ante CIDH por responsabilidad en asesinato de Mariano Abarca". Avispa Mídia (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
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