The David and Goliath story of the Salvadorans who rallied together to prevent global corporation Pacific Rim from gold mining above the country's main river and contaminating their water source
In a time when countless communities are exploited by powerful corporations - from Flint, Michigan to the Standing Rock Reservation - The Water Defenders presents the inspirational story of a community that took on Big Gold at seemingly insurmountable odds and won.
Many Salvadorans were at first excited by the promise of jobs, progress, and prosperity that Pac Rim presented to them in the early 2000s. But Marcel and Miguel Rivera and Vidalina Morales were skeptical; after traveling to other mining sites, they noticed the surrounding water were poisoned by toxic chemicals. They realized that the Lempa, the river basin that covers 49% of El Salvador, was in danger of catastrophic contamination and decided to organize against Pac Rim and the destruction of their home.
What ensues next is a national battle with unlikely allies, corruption, lawsuits, violent threats, and lives lost and changed forever. After a seven year legal battle, the typically pro-corporate tribunal panel judging the case ruled unanimously against the mining company. In a final blow, Congress voted to ban all mining in El Salvador - making them the first country in the world to instate a comprehensive mining ban. The Water Defenders progresses the international conversation about the deceptive benefits of progress and prosperity, and the havoc it can wreak upon poor communities and the environment.
