On Guatemala’s Caribbean coast, criminal activity is destroying mangroves and the livelihoods of families who depend on them. Yet Guatemala’s mangrove ecosystems are connected to those of Honduras, Belize and Mexico. What happens to one affects the others. Francelia Solano… Read More ›
Mining
Guatemala, a New President while the Old Leaves With Further Repression and Impunity
Lisa Rankin, of Breaking the Silence, writes on their blog site about the change-over but lack of change. January 14 was the inauguration of the new Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei. He is known as a hard-line right-wing conservative with a… Read More ›
NISGUA – December Solidarity Update
NISGUA recently shared their Solidarity Update for December. Maya Achi survivors present a formal complaint against Judge Claudette Domínguez On December 5, 36 Maya Achi survivors of sexual violence presented a formal complaint against Judge Claudette Domínguez for acts of… Read More ›
PBI – Indigenous land defenders criminalized for opposing open-pit mine, dam
Brent Patterson, of PBI Canada writes, On December 20, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project posted, “Today we have accompanied the Law Office of Human Rights to Puerto Barrios at the initial debate hearing of Eduardo Bin Poou, Q’eqchi’ defender and… Read More ›
Central American mine resistance visits Vancouver
Hayley Woodin writes on BIV’s resources and agriculture website. It was the first advocacy effort of its kind in a mining conflict that has spanned a decade, three countries and multiple legal challenges. In November, a representative of Guatemala’s Indigenous… Read More ›
Bloody Repression of Campesino Organisations
Manuel Pérez Hernández was shot dead on evening of the 6th November, in San Pedro Pinula, Jalapa. He left six children, the youngest of two months, who he was looking after when he was murdered. He was a member of… Read More ›
The El Escobal Mine: a difficult judgement (Part I)
One year after the Guatemala Constitutional Court (CC) ordered the Guatemalan State to consult with the Xinca people on the issue of the El Escobal mine in San Rafael Las Flores, Santa Rosa, ACOGUATE has written on the order and… Read More ›
State of Siege extended by Guatemalan Congress
NISGUA reports that, on October 10, the Guatemalan Congress approved Jimmy Morales’ proposal to extend the state of siege in six departments for another 30 days. The 30-day state of siege imposes a night-time curfew in the northeastern provinces of… Read More ›
Killings Of Guatemala’s Indigenous Activists Raise Specter Of Human Rights Crisis
María Martin recently wrote on NPR For three days last week, thousands of Guatemalans blocked roads and major highways to protest the Central American country’s slide toward a constitutional crisis. The protest organizers included groups that have long… 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 ›
Guatemala Solidarity Network 