EN AMÉRICA LATINA LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PUEBLOS FRENTE AL PODER EMPRESARIAL

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It argues that a 'architecture of impunity'—composed of free trade agreements, investment protection treaties, and the ICSID arbitration system—shields corporations from accountability while allowing them to challenge public health and environmental policies. The report advocates for a legally binding UN treaty on transnational corporations and human rights, including the creation of an International Court to ensure justice for affected communities.

• The 2015 collapse of the Fundão dam in Brazil, operated by Samarco (a joint venture between BHP Billiton and Vale), is described as one of the largest socio-environmental crimes in history. The disaster released 62 million cubic meters of mining waste, killing 19 people and affecting 3.5 million people who rely on the Rio Doce basin for water.
• In Mexico, the Canadian mining company Blackfire Exploration is accused of violating human rights in Chiapas. The report highlights the 2009 assassination of environmental leader Mariano Abarca Roblero, alleging that the company and the Canadian embassy worked in connivance with state authorities to facilitate the project and ensure impunity.
• The Agua Zarca hydroelectric project in Honduras, developed by DESA, is linked to the assassination of environmental activist Berta Cáceres in 2016. The report claims the project was imposed without consulting the Lenca indigenous people and was supported by the state through the use of military and police force.
• The tobacco company Philip Morris International used the ICSID arbitration forum to sue Uruguay over public health laws that required large health warnings on cigarette packaging. While Uruguay eventually won, the report cites this as an example of how corporations use investment treaties to intimidate states and undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
• Argentina's experience with the re-nationalization of the water company AySA led to a $405 million penalty imposed by ICSID in favor of the French group Suez. The report argues that such arbitration systems prioritize corporate profit over the human right to water and create significant financial burdens for developing states.
• El Salvador successfully prohibited metallic mining in March 2017 following a long struggle against the Canadian-Australian company Oceana Gold (formerly Pacific Rim). The conflict involved eight murders and a failed $250 million ICSID claim by the company against the state.
• In Costa Rica, the expansion of pineapple monocultures by multinationals like Del Monte and Dole has led to massive deforestation (over 5,500 hectares between 2000-2015) and severe water contamination due to the intensive use of agrochemicals like bromacil.
• In Guatemala, the community of Ixquisis resisted hydroelectric projects (Pojom I, II, and San Andrés) by PDHSA. Despite a 2009 community consultation where 99% of the population rejected extractive projects, the state approved the projects, leading to numerous human rights violations and intimidations.
• The report recommends the establishment of an International Court on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights. This court would be independent of UN executive organs and would allow affected communities to sue corporations and states for economic, industrial, and ecological crimes.
• The report calls for states to conduct exhaustive audits of Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (APPRI) and to withdraw from the ICSID system, arguing that these mechanisms facilitate corporate impunity and restrict the state's ability to implement public policies.

APA

Viana, A., Soto, G. C., Silva, M. A. C., Garay, M. E. Z., Salvático, N., Villarreal, A., Vásquez, A. M., Porras, M., Palacios, E. H., Grijalva, B. T., Herrera, R., & Raymundo, E. R. (2017). EN AMÉRICA LATINA LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PUEBLOS FRENTE AL PODER EMPRESARIAL. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_espanol_2017-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Viana, Arthur, Gustavo Castro Soto, Martha Alejandra Canales Silva, Mario Ernesto Zavala Garay, Natalia Salvático, Alberto Villarreal, Ana María Vásquez, et al. EN AMÉRICA LATINA LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PUEBLOS FRENTE AL PODER EMPRESARIAL. Friends of the Earth International, 2017. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_espanol_2017-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{viana2017amrica, author = {Viana, Arthur and Soto, Gustavo Castro and Silva, Martha Alejandra Canales and Garay, Mario Ernesto Zavala and Salvático, Natalia and Villarreal, Alberto and Vásquez, Ana María and Porras, Mariana and Palacios, Eric Hernández and Grijalva, Basilio Tzoy and Herrera, Ruben and Raymundo, Elías Raymundo}, title = {{EN AMÉRICA LATINA LOS DERECHOS DE LOS PUEBLOS FRENTE AL PODER EMPRESARIAL}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ATALC_espanol_2017-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }