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The Xinka Parliament of Guatemala announced this week the start of the court-ordered consultation over the future of Pan American Silver’s (TSE, NYSE: PAAS) Escobal mine, according to a release from US environmental organization Earthworks.
Pan American became the owner of Escobal, which when in operations was the world’s third largest silver mine, when it acquired Tahoe Resources in 2018 for $1 billion.
In 2017, Tahoe Resources was forced to halt operations at Escobal when Guatemala’s Supreme Court suspended the mine license.
The decision supported a claim brought by environment and human rights group CALAS against the country’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), alleging it violated the local Indigenous people’s right of consultation in advance of granting the Escobal mining license to Tahoe’s Guatemalan subsidiary.
A group of protesters that year near the town of Casillas blocked access to Escobal, delaying shipments and supplies.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling ordered MEM to carry out a consultation with the local Indigenous population, the Xinka communities, and it also upheld the license suspension for Tahoe’s smaller Juan Bosco mine.
The underground operation, located in southeast Guatemala, about 3 km from San Rafael Las Flores, was in operations from 2014-2017. According to Pan American, it has 264moz in proven and probable silver reserves and 4,500 tonnes per day plant throughput capability.
Escobal operations are on care and maintenance pending completion of an ILO 169 consultation. No timeline has been set for a completion of the consultation process or a restart of operations.
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