Those involved in the measure – mostly indigenous representatives – have blocked the road to the GNC plant since October 4, saying that despite an order from the Constitutional Court to suspend production as temporary measures pending a final resolution of the case, the exploitation of the El Estor fields continued.
The June 2020 decision of the Constitutional Court noted that the authorities of the Swiss company, which obtained mining rights in 2014, had not held sufficient consultations with the local population, as required by an ILO convention.
Clashes took place with the police while the demonstration calmed down. Stones were thrown and hit with baseball bats. The police used telescopic batons and stun guns. Agence France-Presse confirmed that the victims are not limited to the participants in the demonstration, but also include journalists whose rights resulting from their profession have been questioned.
The official balance of the injured has not been announced.
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