The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) recently posted a Special Bulletin on the Military Diary Case (Caso Diario Militar) currently ongoing in Guatemala. The Military Diary, or Death Squad Diary, case relates to past crimes against humanity and is… Read More ›
Land
The Indigenous Leader Targeted for Protecting His People’s Land
The case of Bernardo Caal Xol is featured on this video from VICE as part of the Amnesty International campaign ‘Write For Rights’. “Why am I in jail? For denouncing what they are doing to the rivers, defending what little… Read More ›
Guatemala Cracks Down on Q’eqchi’ Resistance in El Estor
In the latest episode of a lengthy saga of repression and resistance, Maya communities demanding to be consulted about a foreign-owned nickel mine in their territories now live under a state of siege. Vaclav Masek writes in NACLA on the… Read More ›
Where Impunity Reigns: Nickel Mining in El Estor, Guatemala
James Rodríguez wrote an article for Latin American Perspectives on El Estor, looking at the history of the mine, including the history of state violence against those that live in the Q’eqchi’ Mayan territory. The violence goes back to at… Read More ›
Guatemala: Peaceful resistance to illegal mining under siege
A Joint Statement was released in response to the state of siege and the violence of state actors against the peaceful demonstrations being held in El Estor. Errors in translation are mine. JOINT STATEMENT – THE OBSERVATORY / UDEFEGUA /… Read More ›
Solidarity And Support For ACOGUATE And CUC
The above statement was released by the Convergence for Human Rights Coalition in response to the criminalisation of human rights organisations ACOGUATE and CUC. The current political and judicial environment is part of an increasingly repressive approach of the Guatemala… Read More ›
Demand That State Cease Excessive Violence
In response to the events at El Estor, the above statement was released jointly, yesterday, by Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN), Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS-RES), Human Rights Defenders Project, Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), Guatemalanetz Bern, Protection International… Read More ›
Violence Against Q’eqchi’ Community In El Estor
The above statement was released by UDEFEGUA in response to the violence carried out by state forces against the Q’eqchi’ population in El Estor protesting against the open-pit Fénix nickel mine owned by Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN). My translation… Read More ›
Guatemala’s growing palm oil industry fuels Indigenous land fight
Sandra Cuffe writes in Al Jazeera about the ongoing land struggles in Guatemala primarily focusing on palm oil production, its destructive legacies, and Indigenous resistance. Anibal Agurtia blows into the conch shell tied to a red string around his hand,… Read More ›
“It’s not tiring for us to be here”: Anti-mining resistance in Guatemala
Avispa Midia published a piece on a non-violent, anti-mining resistance encampment situated in El Estor. The camp is looking to highlight violence being carried out against the local Q’eqchi’ people and has garnered support from other indigenous groups in Guatemala…. Read More ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 