This just in from our friend Christina Starr at Radio Victoria:

"Dear Friends, i am very sorry to report the following:

The urgent message of Return to El Salvador is going to be made available to Canadian Parliament in Ottawa on June 15.
It is up to concerned Canadians like you to get MPs out to see the film! Please use and adjust the text below and send on
to your MP - forward to your friends as well! Find your MP contact info below.

Dear MP Name Here,

I am sending this email to request your attendance at the urgent screening of independent filmmaker Jamie Moffett's documentary
Return to El Salvador. Return to El Salvador, documents the aftermath of a 12 year civil war and the interplay between the Salvadoran people and the US politics and policies that directly influence the Central American country. Narrated by Martin Sheen, the film features interviews by former US ambassador to El Salvador Robert White, and has been endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

One aspect of the film outlines the disappearance of prominent mining activist Marcelo Rivera. While in El Salvador shooting principal photography, Moffett and his crew stumbled upon the disappearance of Rivera - he had been "disappeared" days prior to the filming of the documentary. Marcelo's kidnapping, torture and murder signifies a shift. No longer are people being disappeared solely for political reasons, but now social leaders who would dare to stand up for the environment. Investigating further, his crew found more and more signs in this mysterious disappearance pointing towards the Vancouver-based Pacific Rim Mining Company. Eventually, as the film goes on to tell, Rivera's body was found - not by police, who had no information, but by his friends.

Moffett will be in Ottawa the morning of June 15th from 7:30 to 9:00 am at Center Block House of Commons to present the film to Canadian Parliament at the behest of MP John McKay. Return to El Salvador was requested by McKay because he brought forth Bill C-300, a corporate accountability bill, to Canadian Parliament and is invested in our film's message.

As a concerned Canadian citizen, I am asking you as my representative to attend to learn about the role of Pacific Rim in Marcelo Rivera's death. You can confirm attendance by contacting Ms. Claire Lehan, Legislative Assistant to Hon. John McKay, at 613-992-6512 or McKayJ8@parl.gc.ca.

Thanks so much. I know you care, as I do, about actions taken in the name of Canadian-based companies in other countries. I believe sharing this film's findings with as many members of Parliament is vital to the integrity of future Canadian foreign policy decision making.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here
Canadian Members of Parliament

The legal case between Canadian mining corporation Pacific Rim and the country of El Salvador began. Here is a summary of day 1 from the good folks at Voices From El Salvador:

Hey all,

I wanted to forward this great article about San Isidro, Cabañas - one of the key locations for "Return to El Salvador". Thanks to Jamie Keen from Mining Watch for the heads up!

http://www.bilaterals.org/spip.php?article17160

Lesions, illness, death - just some of the consequences local communities have had to bear for living near Guatemala's largest gold mine. Use of cyanide to leech gold from the rock is believed to be making children sick. Al Jazeera’s David Mercer reports from San Miguel Ixtahuacan.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/03/20103919176748560.html

Michelle Drew from Redeemer University College writes in their paper, The Crown, on the murder of anti-mining activist Marcelo Rivera, Canada's Bill C-300 (requiring corporate accountability for Canada's mining companies), and the feature documentary, "Return to El Salvador".

"Return to El Salvador" Director Jamie Moffett was interviewed Monday on WORT 88.9 FM in Madison, WI by journalist and host Norm Stockwell for the daily show "A Public Affair". Here's the archive (interview starts at 01:35)

WORT FM Interviews Filmmaker Jamie Moffett

Feb 1 Article by Lisa Skeen

"For residents of El Salvador’s northern department of Cabañas, 2009 was a year fraught with political high drama that reached a tragic climax in December with the assassination of two anti-mining activists. A public commemoration of their work, which marked the start of 2010, was as much a statement of solidarity as one of mourning."

Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes spoke on Tuesday against any mining prospects as well as promising full investigations of the recent murders of local activists.

CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) has provided the following press release of Funes' statements.