Friends,

We wanted to send a brief update regarding the current state of Alex Reynoso and others from the resistance movement in Mataquescuintla after last night’s shooting. Alex is doing fairly well but remains hospitalized. He is in a lot of pain but is in stable condition and recuperating from a bullet wound. Five others were in the vehicle at the time of the attack. Two were grazed with bullets, considered to be minor injuries.

The group of men were leaving a meeting with the mayor in Mataquescuintla, returning home to their village outside town. The assailants were waiting only a few kilometers down the road. However, the the group was able to escape and drive to safety.

A preliminary analysis points to this being a continuation of a pattern of attacks against members of Mataquescuintla civil society who are opposing Tahoe Resources and its subsidiary, Minera San Rafael; certain notable advances in the fight against the company have taken place over the past month. Hugo Loy won his second term of mayor of Mataquescuintla in September during the first round of national elections, despite strong opposition from the Partido Patriota. And on October 9, the results of the Mataquescuintla community consultation (held November 2012) were published in Diario Centro America, and were therefore nationally registered. The consultation, in which over 98% of participants voted against transnational mining, was recognized by Guatemala’s Constitutional Court as binding in 2013.

In April 2014, Alex survived another assassination attempt in which his 16-year-old daughter, Topacio Reynoso, was shot and killed.

There is continued concern for the safety of Alex, his family and the other members of the Mataquescuintla civil society who have been in open opposition to the mine.

Please stay tuned as we receive more information on how the family wishes us to more forward denouncing the attack.

In solidarity, BTS Staff

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