MEXICO CITY (REUTERS) – Canadian mining company Americas Gold and Silver Corp said late on Tuesday it had held talks with senior Mexican officials in a bid to resolve a dispute at one of its mines in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa.
The company has been embroiled in a labor dispute at the mine, and last week President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador warned Americas Gold and Silver could have its concession revoked if it did not accept new trade union representation there.
In a statement, the firm said its Chief Executive Darren Blasutti met with Interior Minister Olga Sanchez, Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier and Labor Minister Luisa Maria Alcalde, as well as Graeme Clark, Canada’s ambassador to Mexico.
Responding last week, the company said it had been subject to “extortion and organized crime” and described the San Rafael mine in Cosala as the victim of an illegal blockade.
In the latest statement, the company said it wanted its employees to get back to work and pressed for guarantees that the blockade would end without miners being threatened.
Americas Gold and Silver said it had proposed to the Mexican officials that negotiations be held between the interested parties to create the conditions to reopen the mine.
The company said it was optimistic about the progress of the talks and stated that it planned to “continue investing in Mexico within the framework of the law.”
(Reporting by Raul Cortes; Editing by Nick Zieminski for REUTERS).
Source: REUTERS
