The stories of two Guatemalan asylum seekers highlight the deep roots of forced migration from Central America and the U.S. role in the ongoing displacement. María Inés Taracena writes in NACLA about colonialism, resistance, violence, displacement, and migration affecting the… Read More ›
Environment
Reactivation of Cerro Blanco Mining Project
In a series of tweets, in Spanish, The Extractive Industries Observatory (El Observatorio de Industrias Extractivas – OIE) has introduced a thread about the Cerro Blanco mining project in Jutiapa, and its re-opening by Bluestone Resources. The OIE was created… Read More ›
U.S. Policy Toward Central America Continues Legacy of Displacement
U.S.-sponsored militarization and neoliberal policies will not lead to structural changes in Guatemala and instead preserve the status quo that forces many to migrate. Gio B’atz’ (Giovanni Batz) writes in the NACLA website about poverty, oppression, and displacement as everyday… Read More ›
Washington Cracks Down on Guatemala Corruption
US sanctions on two Guatemalan politicians — one a political operator and the other an influential legislator — are the latest salvo by Washington to show it is serious about taking on corruption in Central America. Alex Papadovassilakis writes in… Read More ›
Guatemala, a high-risk country for environmental defenders, has not ratified the Escazú Agreement
Regina Pérez writes in Prensa Comunitaria about the Escazú Agreement and what it means for environment and land defenders, who continue to face serious threats in their daly lives. In Guatemala, according to Front Line Defenders (FLD), 15 human rights… Read More ›
Traditional Guatemalan elites must change now. Here is where to start.
“Let’s suppose we were willing to meet with them [indigenous leaders and communities],” he said, “how would we even know where to find them?” Anita Isaacs writes a thoughtful and interesting piece in Plaza Pública about five traits of the… Read More ›
Lolita Chávez: ‘We have the right to live in a territory that for us is sacred’
Barbara Fraser presents, in EarthBeat, an interview with Lolita Chavez, who is to receive the annual Romero Human Rights Award, named for St. Óscar Romero. The award was established by the University of Dayton Ohio, in the United States, in… Read More ›
US and Canadian Organizations Alarmed Over Illegal Mining
A blog post on MiningWatch Canada links to a letter sent to the CEO of Goldex Resources about illegal mining in Guatemala. Seven organizations, including MiningWatch Canada, sent a letter to the President & CEO and Director of Goldex Resources… Read More ›
Podcast: The Search for the Disappeared in Guatemala
‘Memory Cultures in Dialogue’ is a podcast and blog of the Humanitarian Law Center from Belgrade, Serbia. They recently featured The Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) in an episode. What is the role of forensic anthropology in the post-conflict context?… Read More ›
Interview with wrongfully imprisoned Maya Q’eqchi river defender Bernardo Caal Xol
Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project posted a video of its Acércate (‘come closer’) interview with Maya Q’eqchi river defender Bernardo Caal Xol in prison in Cobán, Alta Verapaz. Caal Xol is a leader of the Peaceful Resistance of Cahabón, a collective… Read More ›
