After reporting on April 7 that $8.5 million worth of gold concentrate was stolen from his mine in Sinaloa, Mexico, Rob McEwen, CEO of McEwen
mining, went on Business News Network and stated blandly that his company had a “good relationship” with a Mexican drug cartel.
The Canadian team at McEwen |
The comments were front page news in Mexico – and still are.
They also received coverage in leading English-language outlets around the
world. The startling admission was covered by the Associated Press. Outlets
that picked up the story included ABC, CNBC, and the Daily Mail.
As of this writing, none of the major Canadian news outlets have reported on the admission. Neither has there been any comment from Canadian authorities or business organizations.
In response to the media firestorm occurring outside his
country's borders, CEO Rob McEwen put out a press release on April 13, stating:
"Responding to numerous media reports, I want to make
it perfectly clear, that neither I nor any member of McEwen Mining's management
team in Canada or in Mexico have had any regular contact with, or have any
relationship with, cartel members."
This alone should raise eyebrows. What does no "regular" contact
mean, exactly? La politica has reached
out twice to McEwen Mining for comment, but has yet to receive a response.
Mr. McEwen clarified that the “good relationship” comment referred
to the surrounding communities, and not to the cartels. But this clarification repeats
the odd caveat:
"Unfortunately, my use of the words, 'good
relationship', was careless and has created the entirely false impression with
Mexican media that we have regular contact with criminal elements in their
society. This is simply not true. I wish to apologize sincerely for any
misunderstanding my words may have caused.”
Again, there is an acknowledgment of cartel contact, just
not that it was "regular". This should set off some alarm bells, but McEwen,
in calling out the “Mexican media”, seems to know he’ll get a soft ride in
Canada.
How does the CEO of a Canadian mining company in Mexico know
that he is dealing with a cartel, yet claim to have no relationship with them?
What sort of information is exchanged during the “irregular” contact between management and the cartel that does
not allow for a proper relationship?
In Mexico, the revelations have put the governor of the
state of Sinaloa, Mario López Valdez, on the hot seat. López Valdez has claimed
no knowledge of any communication between the mining company and cartels, while
at the same time acknowledging that he has had a close and productive
relationship with CEO Rob McEwen.
“I’m a good friend of the mining executive, and he has never
told me that his company asked permission or negotiated with cartels,” he said.
The fallout is continuing almost a week after the theft was
reported. On April 13, Sinaloa’s
Secretary of Economic Development, Aarón Rivas Loaiza, said that there was no
extortion or any criminal pressure on businesspeople on the part of criminal
organizations in Sinaloa.
(TE Wilson is the author of Mezcalero, a Detective Sánchez novel.)
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