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 Earthwords

Friends of the Earth CANADA E-Newsletter

NOVEMBER 2006—Issue 14

THE CURSE OF COPPER SHOWING AT FILM FESTIVALS IN TORONTO AND MONTREAL

On November 3rd, the struggle of the indigenous people of Intag, Ecuador, against a Canadian mining company will be shown to the world.

The Curse of Copper, a documentary account of this fight for land and livelihood, is set for its world premiere at the Planet In Focus film festival in Toronto and will also be screened in Montreal on the same day. Both director/producer Jenny Sharman and Friends of the Earth Canada’s Beatrice Olivastri will be in Toronto to put the film in context and answer questions. The film has already won for Best Non-Broadcast Documentary at the Montana CINE Film Festival and is a finalist for the Toronto festival.

The Curse of Copper—November 3rd, 2006 at 7:00pm:

 

Planet In Focus Film Festival, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto - more info

 

Mauvaises Mines: festival de films sur les impacts de l’industrie minière canadienne,

Concordia University, Montreal - more info

Since The Curse of Copper was filmed, the situation in Intag has escalated despite efforts by the local people to get Ascendant Copper Corp. to leave peacefully. In the past few months, confrontations and intimidation by groups loyal to the company have increased, culminating in an incident at the Zorilla home on October 17th. Explaining the events and exposing the criminal charges as false, the founder of DECOIN (one of the groups organizing the resistance to mining in Intag) sent a letter to the online newsletter Counterpunch:

 

October 26, 2006

Trumped Up Charges and Collusion Between a Mining Company and the Government of Ecuador
The Police Raid on My House
By CARLOS ZORRILLA

When I received the very early phone call around 6:15 on the morning of the 17th of October informing me that there were "very many policemen" headed my way, I did not hesitate. I closed down my computer, said goodbye to my son, and left my home. Read more...

CARLOS ZORILLA’S HOME RAIDED BY POLICE—QUESTIONABLE CHARGES LAID AGAINST RESPECTED DECOIN FOUNDER

CANADA TELLS FOE IT “TROUBLESHOOTS” FOR ASCENDANT COPPER (see page two of response to Environmental Petition #170)

 

click here to read our response