In Panama, OAS commission hears claims of harm from Canadian companies — Mongabay
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on October 27 in Panama heard representatives from six countries who reported harm linked to the activities of Canadian mining companies in Latin America. Four witnesses also reported alleged attacks on environmental defenders, Mongabay reports.
The commission is an independent body of the Organization of American States and considered Canada’s obligations regarding the activities of its extractive companies abroad and their impact on human rights and the environment. Canada is a member of the OAS but has not ratified the American Convention on Human Rights. Therefore, the commission cannot refer a case concerning Canada to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, but it can issue non-binding recommendations.
Statements from Ecuador and Colombia
Indigenous representative and fish farmer Marco Manobanda from Las Naves, Ecuador, stated that the El Domo copper-gold mine is causing deforestation and water pollution affecting the water on which his community depends. The mine is owned by Vancouver-based companies Silvercorp Metals Inc. and Salazar Resources Ltd. According to Manobanda, in June 2025, military personnel and police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse a peaceful protest. Activists reported that several people were injured.
Manobanda also claims that local residents face a military presence, threats, harassment and searches, while more than 30 people have become subjects of criminal cases. UN special rapporteurs have expressed concern about the situation surrounding opponents of the project. Silvercorp Metals and Salazar Resources did not respond to Mongabay’s request for comment by the time of publication.
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Colombian activist Mayerly López spoke about increasing threats against people defending the Santurbán páramo from gold mining by Aris Mining Corporation in the Soto Norte project. According to her, this high-altitude ecosystem is a source of water for 2 million Colombians. López stated that the faces of environmental defenders appeared on leaflets and social media alongside accusations of links to armed groups and illegal activities. Aris Mining also did not provide a comment by the time of publication.
Demands for Canada
Civil society representatives urged the commission to recommend that Canada introduce legislation on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence, strengthen independent accountability mechanisms, and improve affected communities’ access to legal remedies. They also proposed linking public financing, export credit, investment support and insurance for Canadian companies to human rights and environmental safeguards.
The hearing took place about four months after the abolition of the position of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, which reviewed complaints about human rights violations and environmental harm linked to Canadian companies abroad. Canada’s representative to the OAS, Gillian Ghilard, pointed to the National Contact Point as a mechanism for early dispute resolution and strengthening corporate due diligence. At the same time, critics stress that its recommendations are non-binding and that the body itself cannot compel the production of documents or establish facts.
