A woman weaves in Santiago Atitlan, Sololá, Guatemala using a traditional backstrap loom. (WNV/Jeff Abbott) On July 9, Kaqchikel Maya weavers in Guatemala gathered in the town of Santiago Sacatepéquez’s central park to celebrate a small victory in their struggle… Read More ›
Indigenous peoples
Court Ratifies Historic Sepur Zarco Sexual Violence Judgment
The High Risk Appellate Court upheld the historic Sepur Zarco judgment this week after unanimously rejecting the three appeals presented by the defense counsel of the two military officials convicted last February in the case. The judges read the summary… Read More ›
The Canadian company mining hills of silver – and the people dying to stop it
As part of a wider collaboration between the Guardian and Global Witness, Nina Lakhani writes about the high cost paid by environmental defenders in Guatemala. ——————————————- Deep underground, buried in the lush hills of southern Guatemala, lies a veritable treasure… Read More ›
From civil war to civil protest: A director looks back on three decades of filming Guatemala
Over the past 35 years, Pamela Yates, an American filmmaker, has been visiting Guatemala, documenting the often painful sweep of its history, with particular attention to the indigenous Mayan communities. Her first film, “When the Mountains Tremble” (1983), took viewers… Read More ›
Human Rights violations in Ixquisis end in the murder of Sebastian Alonso Juan
Región de Ixquisis – Foto ACOGUATE This article was published on the website of ACOGUATE in February 2017 and was translated by Lazara Morgan. The murder of Sebastian Alonso Juan took place during a peaceful demonstration on the 17th January… Read More ›
Rodrigo Tot wins Goldman Environmental Prize for land-title quest
Rodrigo Tot (Goldman Environmental Prize) Rodrigo Tot, an indigenous leader in Guatemala’s Agua Caliente, led his community to a landmark court decision that ordered the government to issue land titles to the Q’eqchi people and kept environmentally destructive nickel mining… Read More ›
El Oriente
Guatemala’s El Oriente (Eastern land) is a region which has systematically been left aside by the state’s political and economic system. The population’s suffering is visible as they have one of the highest levels of malnutrition in the country. It… Read More ›
Guatemala: Saving Indigenous Radio
This short video is from ‘Amplifying Indigenous Voices: Cultural Survival’s Community Media Program’. Community radio has been a vital presence in Indigenous communities in Guatemala since the 1960s. Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala rely on community radio to keep their cultures,… Read More ›
Ríos Montt to Face Second Genocide Trial for the Dos Erres Massacre
A judge in Guatemala has determined that there is sufficient evidence to send former Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt to trial for the case of the Las Dos Erres massacre. This is the second trial Ríos Montt will face in… Read More ›
Human Rights Groups to Inter-American Court: Impunity is Alive and Well in Guatemala
President Jimmy Morales invited the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to conduct its 57th session in Guatemala City, perhaps hoping to repair the country’s tattered relationship with the international organization. However, in extending this invitation, he may not have expected… Read More ›
