Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. On January 25, 2013. To STEPHEN HARPER Prime Minister of Canada.

To SARA HRADECKI Canadian Ambassador in Mexico. To Canadian civil society. Indigenous and rural communities, ecclesiastical institutions and various pastoral areas of our diocese organized as Pueblo Creyente (Community of Faith) and motivated by the Pastoral Letter of Pope Benedict XVI ("If you want Peace, Protect Creation"), exercising the right of petition established in Article 8 of the Constitution of the United Mexican States, we are writing to express our disagreement with the many projects promoted by governments at various levels and multinational companies that attempt against our Mother Earth and our territories. Currently indigenous peoples as well as rural and campesino communities of Mexico and of around the world are seriously threatened by various projects. One of them are linked to mining exploration and exploitation. In the last 15 years the aggression of various companies has been intensifying rapidly. Only in our country, according to statistics from the Ministry of Economy, more than 32 million hectares have been registered under concessionz to mining companies, which represents more than 16% of our national territory. These attacks serve a production model that favors the acquisition and accumulation of wealth in the hands of a limited number of persons above the lives of peoples and communities. Concealed behind the argument of Development, the mining projects promise jobs, public services, productive and environmentally friendly projects. Notwithstanding, historically they have left in the peoples a trail of death, impoverishment, irreversible damage to the environment and health, social polarization and division in communities, among others. In the case of Chiapas, more than half of the exploration and exploitation concessions for mining are monopolized by four Canadian transnational companies that have concessions in 29 municipalities of Chiapas, representing more than 656 197 hectares (223954 of these are concessions for 50 years). It is worth noting that these permits are situated in strategic places such as the Sierra region of the state where are located the main springs that supply with water various communities; or in areas with forests and high biodiversity. These projects could threaten and contaminate these natural resources which in turn would seriously risk the lives of the inhabitants as it happens at present in other states like Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Oaxaca, among others. Given this situation, as Community of Faith (Pueblo Creyente), we would like to express our disagreement with the decisions of our leaders who grant concessions for exploration and exploitation of mineral resources without prior information and consultation of our people, violating the most basic

human rights recognized in national laws and instruments ratified by the Mexican government such as: the Federal Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection. Article 1, "All members of the community have the right to live in an environment suitable for the development, health and welfare; the earth, water, air and other natural resources shall be protected from contamination so as other future generations can continue enjoying them. The San Salvador Protocol, Article 11: "Everyone has the right to a healthy environment and to have access to our basic public services." The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Article 19: "States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them". The ILO Convention 169, article 15. The rights of the peoples concerned to the natural resources pertaining to their lands shall be specially safeguarded. These rights include the right of these peoples to participate in the use, management and conservation of these resources. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UN. Article 25, Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family." We are aware that mining projects only impoverish our lands making them infertile and contaminated, useless for the production of our food. In this sense the situation is contrary to the so-called National Crusade against hunger undertaken by our government. For the defense of life, our sacred spaces, our forests, rivers, mountains, springs, and our children, we DEMAND: To Civil Society: We ask you to become aware of the suffering endured by the communities affected by mining for you to question your leaders on this issue. To investors, entrepreneurs and partners in mining projects: be conscious that the earnings on these projects go hand in hand with the loss of life, community conflicts, division of the community fabric, militarization and contamination of water and land that is sacred to our peoples. TO GOVERNMENT AND CONGRESS FIRST. - Cancellation of all Canadian mining projects in our country where communities are against the extractive model for the risks it represents. SECOND.- To propose and pass laws prohibiting mining investment projects that generate environmental destruction, corruption of authorities and violation of individual and collective human rights in our country. THIRD.-that Canadian authorities contribute with the Mexican government to clarify the murders of social activists against mining projects. FOURTH.-Respect for the community consultation procedures, which are an ancient practice of peoples towards participation and decision making.

FIFTH. - To confirm reception of this letter by informing us as soon as possible of what proceeds, notifying us to the address of the office of the Vicar for Justice and Peace of the Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. Sincerely THE COMMUNITY OF FAITH (PUEBLO CREYENTE) OF THE DIOCESE OF SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Chiapas.