On November 15th, the Departmental Assembly of
Huehuetenango (ADH) announced that two more of the 11 political prisoners
illegally detained during the 18-day state of siege imposed in Santa Cruz de
Barillas, have been liberated due to a lack of evidence linking them to the
crimes of which they were accused. The
state of siege was put in place in response to rioting following the murder of
a local leader, Andrés Francisco Miguel, well known for his resistance to the
Qanbalam hydroelectric dam project. While Pascual de Pascual Pedro and Esteban
Bernabé Gaspar, have returned home to their families, eight political prisoners
in the Barillas case remain in prison.
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| Esteban Bernabé Gaspar |
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| Pascual de Pascual Pedro |
Guatemalan social movements and human rights groups have
long denounced the detention of the 11 community leaders as illegal, and have maintained that their imprisonment is a direct result of the men’s opposition to the
hydroelectric project. Indeed, this
recent ruling reflects the fact that the Public Prosecutor (MP) assigned to
the case has never provided evidence individually linking the men to the
specific crimes for which they were accused.
Notwithstanding, the proceeding judge ruled that the prosecutor has
three months to present new evidence in the case.
Social and human rights organizations, family members of the
accused and the political prisoners themselves continue to denounce the illegality
and irregularity of the detention. Despite
ongoing persecution, including an armed attack against two of the detained
while being transported to a court hearing and 33 outstanding arrest
warrants for community leaders, social organizations and individuals in
Barillas are encouraged by this victory and are cautiously confident in the
capacity of the legal system to see that justice is done.
“The result of this hearing is of great joy for the
liberated and their families. It gives
hope to all of the Barillenses who
continue to suffer unjust persecution and stimulates them to fight for the
dignity of people and pueblos. We believe in the Justice System and call on
the authorities to rectify their actions and commit completely to legal
objectivity and the laws of the country in order to guaranty that all citizens
live in peace, and that the interests of the companies do not come before the
interest of the people and the country” (ADH, 2012).
With information from:
Cascadia Solidaria
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