Mariano Abarca
{{short description|Mexican community activist (1958–2009)}}{{Infobox person
| name = Mariano Abarca
| image = Mariano Abarca.jpg
| caption = Abarca in Chicomuselo, August 2009
| birth_date = 1958
| death_date = {{dda|2009|11|27|1958|||df=y}}
| death_place = Chicomuselo, Chiapas, Mexico
| death_cause = Assassination
| organization = Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining
| known_for = Protecting against mining
}}
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.
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{{Cite web |last=July 5 |first=Owen Schalk / |last2=Read |first2=2023 / 7 Min |title=Justice for Mariano Abarca |url=https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/justice-for-mariano-abarca |access-date=2023-07-09 |website=Canadian Dimension |language=en |archive-date=2023-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705183625/https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/justice-for-mariano-abarca |url-status=live }} and led the Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining organization.{{Cite web |last=Wells |first=Jennifer |date=2019-03-24 |title=Murder of Mexican mining protester throws spotlight on role of Canada’s embassies |url=https://www.thestar.com/business/opinion/2019/03/24/osgoode-hall-professor-will-argue-canada-should-investigate-assassination-of-mexican-activist.html |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=thestar.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208124244/https://www.thestar.com/business/opinion/2019/03/24/osgoode-hall-professor-will-argue-canada-should-investigate-assassination-of-mexican-activist.html |url-status=live }}
Abarca led community protests against mining by Canadian mining company Blackfire Exploration that, since 2007, operated the La Revancha (baryte) mine in Chiapas.{{Cite news |date=2021-11-08 |title=Slain Mexican activist Mariano Abarca’s supporters contest federal watchdog’s refusal to probe case |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-slain-mexican-activist-mariano-abarcas-supporters-contest-federal/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211110144137/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-slain-mexican-activist-mariano-abarcas-supporters-contest-federal/ |archive-date=2021-11-10}}{{Cite news |date=7 June 2023 |title=Supporters of slain Mexican mining activist take case against Canada to international body |work=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-mexico-mining-mariano-abarca-1.6868459 |url-status=live |access-date=13 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608141027/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-mexico-mining-mariano-abarca-1.6868459 |archive-date=8 June 2023}} In 2008, he was assaulted by Blackfire Exploration staff.{{Cite web |last=Pskowski |first=Martha |date=2019-12-31 |title=Latin American environmentalists face looming threats of violence |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/12/31/opinion/latin-american-environmentalists-face-looming-threats-violence |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Canada's National Observer |language=en |archive-date=2022-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819230420/https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/12/31/opinion/latin-american-environmentalists-face-looming-threats-violence |url-status=live }}
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{{cite web |url=http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_57639.shtml |title=Anti-Mining Activist Mariano Abarca Assassinated in Chiapas. |date=December 1, 2009 |publisher=La Jornada/The Dominion & Media Co-op |accessdate=December 20, 2009 |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707203258/http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_57639.shtml |url-status=live }} who was allegedly a Blackfire employee.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/calgary-owned-mine-shut-in-mexico-1.825017 |title=Calgary-owned mine shut in Mexico. |date=December 10, 2009 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=December 20, 2009|archive-date=12 December 2009|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212161156/http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/12/10/blackfire-mexican-mine-closed.html}}{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/mariano-abarca-activist-a_n_393303.html |title=Mariano Abarca, Activist, Allegedly Killed By Mine Workers in Mexico. |date=15 December 2009 |publisher=Huffington Post |accessdate=December 20, 2009 |first=Marcus |last=Baram |archive-date=19 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219173913/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/mariano-abarca-activist-a_n_393303.html |url-status=live }}
Abarca had previously been abducted in August 2009, and again received death threats in the week and had filed a complaint against the company{{cite web|url=http://www.otrosmundoschiapas.org/index.php/mineria/99-mariano-abarca/585-mariano-abarca-declaration.html|title=¡CANADA, MINERO, MATASTE A OTRO COMPAÑERO! - Otros Mundos Chiapas|website=www.otrosmundoschiapas.org|access-date=2012-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019095601/http://otrosmundoschiapas.org/index.php/mineria/99-mariano-abarca/585-mariano-abarca-declaration.html|archive-date=2013-10-19|url-status=dead}} one day prior to his death.
Witnesses identified a Blackfire Exploration contractor as the assassin "according to a report sponsored by labor and environmental advocacy organizations".
Abarca was survived by his wife, his two sons and his two daughters.{{Cite web |last=Frabes |first=Sare |date=2023-06-08 |title=Denuncian a Canadá ante CIDH por responsabilidad en asesinato de Mariano Abarca |url=https://avispa.org/denuncian-a-canada-ante-cidh-por-responsabilidad-en-asesinato-de-mariano-abarca/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Avispa Mídia |language=es-MX |archive-date=2023-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614013249/https://avispa.org/denuncian-a-canada-ante-cidh-por-responsabilidad-en-asesinato-de-mariano-abarca/ |url-status=live }}
Aftermath
Three suspects were arrested in connection with Abarca's death, each of them had been employed by Blackfire Exploration at some time.
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.{{cite news|newspaper=El Pais|location=Madrid|date=July 31, 2019|accessdate=August 2, 2019|language=Spanish|title=Canadá se niega a investigar su actuación en la muerte de un activista mexicano|trans-title=Canada refuses to investigate its action related to the death of a Mexican activist|url=https://elpais.com/sociedad/2019/08/01/actualidad/1564610422_605396.html|archive-date=August 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801163304/https://elpais.com/sociedad/2019/08/01/actualidad/1564610422_605396.html|url-status=live}}
In 2021, after the Canadian federal ombudsman refused to investigate his death, Roblero's family appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal. In 2023, with help from the Justice & Corporate Accountability Project, his family escalated the matter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
See also
References
External links
- {{YouTube|Xe0SbiqDeeA|Interview with Mariano Abarca at the 2nd REMA Chiapas meeting in Chicomuselo}}
- {{YouTube|rixKIgs-D38|Video about mining in Chicomuselo}} {{in lang|es}}
- [http://www.mapder.lunasexta.org/?p=2315 Mariano Abarca Roblero, a tres años de su asesinato] {{in lang|es}}
- [https://archive.today/20130815224150/http://cuadrivio.net/2011/07/poemas-de-sarah-clancy/ Poemas de Sarah Clancy] cuadrivio.net
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{{Mining in Mexico}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abarca, Mariano}}
Category:Assassinated Mexican people