Peace Brigades International (PBI) – Canada have posted a nice piece about David Hartsough, who passed away recently. David was a human rights accompanier in Guatemala during the 1980s and was involved in the early accompaniment of GAM (Grupo de… Read More ›
PBI Canada
Peaceful Resistance of La Puya expects ICSID ruling in June as consultation process on El Tambor mine set to start this summer
On March 2, 2012, area residents, who had not been consulted about this mine, set up a 24-hour a day blockade at the entrance to the mine site. Within weeks, on May 8, 2012, the women of the Peaceful Resistance… Read More ›
Carlos Ernesto Choc Chub – Criminalised For Defending Rights
Criminalisation, and the use of ‘lawfare’, is being used increasingly against individuals, and groups, seeking to defend human rights in Guatemala. This is especially true with regard to those working to protect the environment. This can be seen through a… Read More ›
PBI – Becoming A ‘Brigadista’
The Peace Brigades International (PBI) Guatemala Project is made up of volunteers, from many countries, who have gone through a long and detailed training which covers the situation in Guatemala as well as the work of international accompaniment that PBI… Read More ›
10th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: challenges for their implementation in Guatemala
“The person who defends Mother Earth is unjustly accused and condemned, without evidence“ PBI-Guatemala recently published a feature on the challenges of implementing, in Guatemala, the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which were endorsed by the United Nations… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
Accompaniment updates from PBI Guatemala
PBI Canada recently posted a couple of pieces from PBI Guatemala highlighting the vital accompaniment work that they do. PBI Guatemala accompanied the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (el Comité Campesino del Altiplano – CCDA) at a Mayan ceremony for… Read More ›
UN Human Rights – Stop treating indigenous human rights defenders like criminals
United Nations human rights experts have expressed concerns over the criminalisation, violations of due process, and health rights of Bernardo Caal Xól, a Q’eqchi’ Maya Indigenous leader and Guatemalan human rights defender. “Mr. Bernardo Caal Xól has been criminalised because… Read More ›
The community of Chicoyogüito and their struggle for justice
On the 28th July, 1968, the community of Chicoyogüito, in Alta Verapaz, was evicted from its lands in order to instal the former Military Zone 21 (ZM 21), which became a detention centre, as well as a site for massacres… Read More ›