Guatemala advances community consultation at Fénix nickel mine

Guatemala’s energy and mines ministry (MEM) completed a preliminary phase of a consultation with indigenous communities required for a restart at Solway Investment Group’s Fénix nickel mine.

Following two meetings led by the ministry last week, the pre-consultation phase of the process with local Maya Q’eqchi’ communities in El Estor in Izabal department and Panzós in Alta Verapaz has concluded, the MEM said in a release.

During the pre-consultation, agreements were reached regarding the implementation of the consultation following talks with 53 communities, as well as conflict resolution mechanisms, the release said.

The Fénix mining license was suspended by the constitutional court in 2019, following an injunction request filed by local NGO Calas, which said indigenous communities were not consulted.

The consultation is being conducted in line with the International Labour Organization’s convention 169, which relates to the rights of indigenous communities.

The first meeting of the pre-consultation was held in September, following around two months of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guatemala last month imposed a state of siege in El Estor, aimed at putting a stop to anti-mining protests related to Fénix.

But opponents of the mine took their protest to the Swiss embassy in Guatemala City over the weekend, news agency EFE reported.

Solway is based in Switzerland.

Guatemala’s other main mines, Pan American Silver’s Escobal silver-lead-zinc asset and Kappes, Cassiday & Associates’ Tambor gold mine, have also been suspended following similar injunction requests by Calas.

A consultation is underway with communities at Escobal, which has been suspended since 2017.