Welcome to The CRISPAZ Blog

Welcome to the CRISPAZ Blog, carrying updated news and information from Christians for Peace in El Salvador. Today is Monday, March 7. We hope that many of you, especially our ezine subscribers, were able to make calls to Milwaukee-based The Commerce Group to protest their $100 million lawsuit against the government of El Salvador as a result of the cancellation of their mining rights. If you were not able to do so, here is the basic information from our ezine that will get you started.

TELL MINING COMPANY TO DROP THEIR LAWSUIT AGAINST EL SALVADOR

Should a Milwaukee mining company be able to sue the government of El Salvador for enforcing its environmental policies and protecting the health of its people?  Join CRISPAZ and the Midwest Coalition against Lethal Mineral Mining (MCALM) to say no!  Join their call-in to Milwaukee-based Commerce Group :

Please call the Commerce Group's Milwaukee office phone

(414) 462-5310 and tell them to drop the lawsuit against the government of El Salvador. If you can't get through, send them an email at: info@commercegroupcorp.com.

SAMPLE CALL SCRIPT:

Hello. My name is _______________(if you are a Milwaukee or Wisconsin resident, say so up front!) and I have been following Commerce Group's lawsuit  against the government of El Salvador. I am calling on Ed Machulak and the Board of Directors to respect the right of the government of El Salvador to protect the environment and the health of the people near the San Sebastian mine by immediately withdrawing your lawsuit against the government of El Salvador. I will be telling my friends and neighbors about the damage you are causing, as well as calling on my Congressional Representatives to take action. Thank you.

BACKGROUND:

Let's send a clear message to the Commerce Group: Withdraw your shameful lawsuit against El Salvador!

On Wednesday, December 29, 2010, four members (Steve Watrous, Al Gedicks, Babette Grunow and Dan Kasun) of the Midwest Coalition Against Lethal Mining (MCALM) met with John Machulak, an attorney with Machulak, Robertson & Sodos, and brother of Commerce Group's Chairman and CEO Edward Machulak to ask him to withdraw the $100 million lawsuit against El Salvador. He refused.

As Dan Kasun observed, "It appeared obvious that the comments by John Machulak throughout the meeting either attempted to minimize culpability or prove willfully ignorant of the obvious environmental and health impact of the Commerce Group's mining operations."

At the conclusion of the meeting, we promised that if they did not withdraw the lawsuit brought against El Salvador under the foreign investor "protections" of the U.S.-Dominican  Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) that we would continue our campaign of public education and political pressure.

We need you to stand in solidarity with El Salvador's struggle against corporate extortion, neocolonialism, and environmental racism.

Please call the Commerce Group's Milwaukee office phone (414) 462-5310 on Monday, March 7 and tell them to drop the lawsuit against the government of El Salvador.