Commerce Group Corp. (Commerce) and San Sebastian Gold Mines, Inc. (SanSeb) (collectively the Claimants) are affiliated U.S. corporations that have formed a joint venture to undertake gold mining in El Salvador. Both are publicly held corporations that have, in the aggregate, approximately 3,300 shareholders, over 95% of whom reside in the United States. Over the past over 40 years the Claimants have invested over $100 million in their mining activities in El Salvador; they have a history of mining in the country going back to October, 1968.