Pacific Rim Mining Corporation has been extracting gold and silver in El Salvador since 2002. They operate in the state of Cabañas and gain millions of ounces of precious metals annually while only paying 2% in taxes. Local activists oppose the mining operations due to concerns over water usage and pollution. Two anti-mining activists, Ramiro Rivera Gomez and Dora Recinos Sorto, were murdered in 2009 after receiving death threats for their activities. The mining company is suing El Salvador's government for $77 million through a trade agreement between Central America and the United States.

1. Mining in El Salvador By Beth Barkley http://www.dominionpaper.ca/files/dominion-img/mural.preview.jpg

3. El Salvador http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/view/images/centramm.jpg

4. Cabañas http://www.newforestsproject.org/nfp/en/newforestsproject/html/images/El%20Salvador%20Map%202%20large.jpg