Honduran Church Protests Mining Law
Highways to Copan, in the Honduran west, will be blocked from early Tuesday morning in a demand to overturn the Mining Law, Catholic priests in the Central American country announced on Friday.

A note issued by the Copan Diocese explained the stoppage would be led by Bishop Luis Alonso, in charge of the western departments of Copan, Intibuca, Lempira and Santa Barbara.

The text, read on local radio stations in the voice of the Catholic leader, pointed out that 20 area priests would lead the demonstration to demand cancellation of the Mining Law and the existing excavation licenses.

(Under this law) foreign companies have absolute right to exploit our mineral resources and enrich themselves without caring about damages they cause to the environment, Alonso said.

This is the first time that the Honduran Catholic clergy has participated in blocking roads, an act similar to those in El Salvador in the 80s.

Manuel Gutierrez, community priest, denounced the pollution affecting rivers and forests from the mining enterprises, which also contribute to increasing the poverty affecting 80 percent of the seven million Honduran citizens, he descried.