A look at the mining activities in Guatemala from environmental justice

The Marlin mine's case opens a discussion about its relevance in Guatemalan context. From the perspective of the state, the mining activity has an important contribution to the national economy and the communities where the enterprise is located. However, the Marlin mine has been an important focus in socio-environmental conflicts, especially because it has generated more problems than solutions. This paper shows how the benefits and costs are distributed between the enterprise-Marlin mine, the State and the communities where the enterprise is established, from the perspective of environmental justice. It is concluded that high enterprise profits are possible only because the State and local communities assume social, economic and environmental costs.