British mining boss is held hostage for hours in terrifying ordeal at hands of armed Guatemalan kidnap gang who threatened to set him on fire

  • David Howe's car was stopped on a remote dirt track by the 30 strong gang 
  • The gang punctured tyres, threatened to set him and fellow executive on fire  
  • Kidnappers locals that form part of a movement opposed to his company
  • Freed after the intervention of the British embassy in Central American country

A British mining boss was held hostage for more than three hours by a gang of armed men who punctured his car tyres and threatened to set the vehicle alight with him inside.

David Howe, vice-president of Tahoe Resources and managing director of its subsidiary Minera San Rafael, was one of two company executives subjected to the terrifying ordeal on a dirt track near a remote village in Guatemala.

Police rescued the pair unharmed after the intervention of the British Embassy in the Central American country.

David Howe is the vice-president of Tahoe Resources and managing director of its subsidiary Minera San Rafael,

David Howe is the vice-president of Tahoe Resources and managing director of its subsidiary Minera San Rafael,

Embassy spokesman Eduardo Smith said: 'Following the retention of a group of executives from the San Rafael Mine the British Embassy is now offering consular assistance to a British citizen and has established contact with local authorities including police and human rights prosecutors.'

Local reports said Oxford Brookes University-educated Mr Howe was held in a village called Ayarza around 60 miles from the capital Guatemala City and near to a figure-eight-shaped crater lake of the same name created 20,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption.

He was travelling with another company executive named as Camilo Medina to meet local coffee growers.

The incident happened around 3pm local time on Thursday and was blamed on a group of locals that form part of a movement opposed to Canadian-owned Tahoe Resources.

Andres Davila, spokesman for Minera San Rafael, said: 'At 3.15pm a group of 30 violent and armed men stopped the vehicle in which our managing director and Tahoe Resources vice-president Dave Howe, a British citizen, and another executive Camilo Medina were travelling.

Protesters opposed to Mr Howe's company and police talk by the road near to where Mr Howe was kidnapped 

Protesters opposed to Mr Howe's company and police talk by the road near to where Mr Howe was kidnapped 

'They were in the village of Ayarza in the Santa Rosa area.

'They were on a field visit meeting locals with whom we've been having productive conversations over the last few weeks.

'This violent group punctured the vehicle's tyres and threatened to set fire to it with the executives inside.'

Speaking before the situation was brought to an end he added: 'Police are present but haven't managed to dissuade these people from ending their action peacefully.

'Other protestors have blocked a road leading to the spot to stop police reinforcements reaching the scene and that's putting the lives of our executives in serious danger.

'They're not trying to negotiate. All they've said is they're going to set light to the vehicle and they don't like the presence of our executives in the area.

'We have spoken to the police but they have said they are having difficulties reaching the scene because of the roadblocks that have been set up.

'They have asked us to remain calm while they try to speak to these people but those attempts haven't proved successful so far.'

The hostage situation was brought to an end around 6.30pm local time on Thursday following the intervention of human rights prosecutors.

Tahoe Resources announced last month it was laying off 250 employees, roughly a quarter of the staff from its flagship Escobal silver mine, as a legal battle over the mining licence for the site dragged on.

Mr Howe was freed after the intervention of the British Embassy in Guatemala

Mr Howe was freed after the intervention of the British Embassy in Guatemala

The firm had to halt operations at the mine, the world's third largest silver mine, last July following a Guatemala Supreme Court ruling after an appeal from an environmental and human rights group.

A verdict on the reinstatement of the licence is pending. The mining licences of other units in the areas have also been suspended.

Reports last year said at least 41 people have been killed since 2010 - including eight at Escobal - in a deadly battle pitting land rights activists against corporate interests.

Water is at the heart of the opposition to Escobal, with locals claiming it will affect their access to the clean water they need for farming.

Tahoe has described the claims about water as 'unsubstantiated and inaccurate'.

A spokesman accused opponents last year of encouraging 'intimidation and violence' in the region.

Mr Howe was educated at the world-class Cornwall-based Camborne School of Mines after studying geology at Oxford Brookes University.

He boasts on an Internet profile of 29 years operational and administrative experience in central and south America and the Caribbean in mining operations and exploration.

He worked in Venezuela, Jamaica and Mexico before taking up his current post in Guatemala in August 2016.

A company spokesman confirmed Mr Howe and his colleague had been freed and were 'okay.'

 

 

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