By: Maria Reyes, Consultant for communications support for the SAGE project The Indigenous Xinka people claim the right to self-determination and to free, prior and informed consent. The Peaceful Resistance communities of the Xinka people in Santa Rosa, Jalapa and Jutiapa have fought for their right of self-determination; along with [...]
On August 13th, the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network will be announcing the winner of the 5th annual Topacio Reynoso Pacheco Award. This award is coordinated by the network and awarded through the collaboration of five other civil society groups across Canada. The award was created to honor the memory [...]
By: Este Chep, Interim BTS Guatemala Coordinator Just over one hundred days have passed since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Guatemala and the beginning of various containment responses by the Guatemalan Government. The sudden reaction to the crisis led to a wide social, political and economic disarray affecting [...]
The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network joins other national and international human rights organizations in expressing concern over the threats, intimidation and provocations that human rights defenders, journalists and social communicators are suffering in El Estor, Izabal. Read the full statement and list of signatories below. June 24, 2020 We, [...]
Photo: Sign reads "We Xinka People exercise our fundamental right to be consulted." May 6, 2020 The national and international organizations signatories to this letter on the occasion of Pan American Silver’s annual shareholder meeting, express our deep concern with regard to the Escobal mining project and the state-led consultation [...]
[TEMPLATE LETTERS & EMAIL ADDRESSES OF CANADIAN & GUATEMALAN OFFICIALS CAN BE FOUND IN THE BELOW DOCUMENT] Dear BTS Members and Friends, The Government of Guatemala has exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to further the financial and political interests of the private sector and ruling elite at the expense of the [...]
November 18, 2019 By Somadina Muojeke Learning about the Rio Negro massacre which was linked to a hydroelectric project, exploring resistance coffee farms and honouring activist Topacio Reynoso, spending time with communities facing evictions by large plantation owners and communities demanding the right to free, prior and informed consent who [...]
November 16, 2019 By Rosie Sylliboy We started our day by marching down a path with our luggage in hand. I imagined that we were loading onto Noah’s ark because it poured rain all night. We were informed that today was going to be a travel day and that most [...]
The Peoples that make up the M4 in resistance to the Capitalist and Extractive Model, towards social transformation DECLARE In Guatemala City’s historic center, on November 15, 16, and 17, we met to discuss and analyze the current processes to regulate the consultation of our peoples and to build collective [...]
Since early June, community members affected by the Escobal mine in San Rafael las Flores, Santa Rosa have held a permanent encampment 15 km from the entrance of the mine. Communities from 7 municipalities rotate in 24-hour shifts and serve as a check-point for mine-related traffic. Any vehicles owned or [...]
