Global Business in the 21st Century – Case Study
Case Studies
Responses to each question should be about 300-400 words.
The Canadian Mining Industry Goes to Guatemala
Primary Source: Annie Hylton, “Is Canada to Blame for Human Rights Abuses
in Guatemala?”
The Walrus, 30 June 2017. Retrieved from: https://thewalrus.ca/
is-canada-to-blame-for-human-rights-abuses-in-guatemala/.
The primary source describes how major companies in the Canadian mining sector set
up operations in Guatemala. Guatemala had gone through brutal civil war for nearly 30
years, which only came to an end in 1996. Since then, many extremist leaders from the
war period have remained involved in politics. The Canadian mining leader Inco
controlled mines in Guatemala even during the height of civil conflict in the 1980s. The
particular incident described in Hylton’s article is the 2007 destruction of a Mayan town
by combined forces of Guatemalan police and military, allegedly alongside the private
security forces contracted to Canadian mining firm Hudbay Minerals. The attack
included the destruction of property and homes, as well as murder, rape, and other
violence to intimidate the community.
Questions
1) How did the political history of Guatemala impact the business of the Canadian
mining companies that have operations in the country?
2) What Guatemalan, Canadian, and international laws could be relevant to how the
ongoing human rights investigation into these cases develop? Describe why.
3) Compare the national economies of Guatemala and Canada. How do these
economic factors impact the political culture of the two countries?