Lets Take Care of Everyone’s Home
Announcement from the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador
About the Exploitation of Gold and Silver Mines

Our small country is the place where God the Creator called us to life.  This is the portion of the world that he has trusted us to take care of and use according to his will: “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” (Gen 1:28).  But this blessed Earth that we love so dearly, suffers an increasing and insensitive deterioration. We all have a responsibility to conserve and defend it because the environment is “the house of all”: it is ours and that of future generations.

From this perspective of faith we wished to share with you our pastoral vision on a problem that deeply worries us: the possibility that mining of precious metal is authorized, to open cast mining or subterean mining, mainly in the northern part of our country.

The experience in brother and neighboring countries, that have permitted gold and silver mining, is truly sad and lamentable. The bishops of those nations have raised their voice. We also wish to pronounce ourselves against (mining) before it is too late.
The reasons of our concern are the following ones:

1. It has been demonstrated that this type of operation causes irreversible damages to the environment and to the surrounding communities.

2. People suffer grave health problems due to the large amounts of cyanide used in the extraction of gold and silver.

3. Water is used in the extraction process of these minerals. (This water) would be inevitably contaminated, beginning an irreversible process of polluting subsoil water and the rivers that little by little would spread to a  great part of the national territory.

4. The pollution would also have grave consequences for the flora and the fauna, extending also to agriculture, cattle and fish.

5. In a country so small and populated as ours, the negative effect would be multiplied.
For all the before mentioned we affirmed that, when the life of a human being is in danger, although some economic benefits can be obtained, the mining of precious metals in El Salvador should not be permitted. No material advantage can be compared with the value of the human life.

We know that the Government has publicly announced his decision to not authorize this type of operation. Like shepherds to the service of the Salvadoran people, we support this position.

May God who gave this beautiful earth to us, help us, so that all the Salvadorans (watch over) be stewards in the conservation and protection of life on this blessed earth.
With our blessing we wish all good in Christ Jesus.

San Salvador, on the Day of the Cross, May 3rd 2007. 

+ Fernando Sáenz Lacalle                                + Rodrigo Orlando Cabrera          
Arzobispo de San Salvador                              Obispo de Santiago de María
Presidente de la CEDES                                   Vicepresidente de la CEDES

+ Romeo Tovar Astorga, ofm                             + Eduardo Alas Alfaro
Obispo de Santa Ana                                         Obispo de Chalatenango
Secretario General de la CEDES

+ José Adolfo Mojica Morales                             + Elías Samuel Bolaños Avelar
Obispo de Sonsonate                                          Obispo de Zacatecoluca

+ Miguel Angel Morán Aquino                             + José Luis Escobar Alas
Obispo de San Miguel                                        Obispo de San Vicente

+ Luis Morao, ofm                                                + Gregorio Rosa Chávez
Obispo electo de Chalatenango                          Obispo Auxiliar de San Salvador

Mons. Fabio Reynaldo Colindres
A. A. del Ordinariato Militar