Good. It also means we get to propose going on another trip, since that one was so successful. That's a topic for another day.
This was MP Hardcastle's request. She has obviously been very active on this file. When we received the request from Common Frontiers Canada to hear from these two gentlemen, Bernardo Belloso and Aleisar Arana Morales, we certainly worked as a committee and made the time to have you come and speak to us on the important issues that you laid out in the briefing.
I just want to give you some background. Mr. Belloso is the president of the Association for the Development of El Salvador. He has been a rural activist since 1995, notably in a campaign against sugar cane plantations in the lower Lempa delta. The CRIPDES leads resistance against mining projects of the region of Chalatenango in El Salvador. Mr. Belloso has travelled through North America, South America, and Europe, advocating for communities affected by mining.
I would like to welcome you Mr. Belloso.
Mr. Morales is the leader of the Xinca Parliament in Guatemala. The Xinca people are indigenous to Guatemala. The Xinca Parliament is composed of 13 organizations and 20 communities spread through southern Guatemala, representing more than 500,000 Xinca and successfully leading local referenda against mining projects.
I would just add that I was pleased to be able to travel to Guatemala last August with the foreign affairs committee. We did a trip to Guatemala and Colombia. We got to spend some time in rural Guatemala, so I have a real sense of the lay of the land. We got to have some really important meetings with civil society on a number of issues.
Again, Mr. Morales, I welcome you on behalf of the entire committee.
Gentlemen, if you would like to take around 10 to 15 minutes to provide testimony, then we can open up the floor to some questions, if that's acceptable.
Please, you have the floor.