goldcorp mexico
Heroin traffickers linked to the abduction and disappearance of43 students a year ago are battling over millions of dollars paid by Canadian mining giant Goldcorp to a village in Mexico's southern gold belt, leading to a wave of murders.
As a signatory to a Conflict-Free Gold Standard drawn up by the World Gold Council industry group, Goldcorp commits to extracting the precious metal in a manner that "does not fuel unlawful armed conflict or contribute to serious human rights abuses."
But residents of Carrizalillo in the impoverished state of Guerrero say the some $3m a year in rent paid by Goldcorp for their land, which the mine is built on, is fueling a bloody feud between two rival cartels. Village authorities say the company is not doing all it can to protect them.