Urgent action to support La Puya communities opposing US-owned gold mine

Take action: Stand in solidarity with La Puya

On Friday, May 23, the communities in resistance of La Puya were violently evicted from their blockade at the entrance to El Tambor gold mine. This attack comes after more than two years of peaceful resistance to the project, and repeated calls for dialogue. Hundreds of police used tear gas and flash bombs to remove the women who formed the front lines of the resistance. Over twenty people were injured. 

Police accompany machinery sent by Kappes, Cassiday and Associates to enter the mine site.
Photo: James Rodríguez, mimundo.org

The communities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc that form the resistance at La Puya explain: 

"The purpose of the operation, directed by the Ministry of the Interior, was to forcibly introduce machinery through the mine entrance, where the communities in resistance installed their blockade on March 2, 2012… 

The police forces included women who were there to confront the brave women of the resistance who had positioned themselves on their knees at the entrance, singing the national anthem and religious songs. The police, gloating in their brutality, lashed out against the women, shooting tear gas bombs at protesters' bodies, causing grave wounds to women, children and the elderly. [These actions] even affected the female police who were on the front lines without protection. 

Given this situation, which was planned by [the Minister of the Interior] Mauricio López Bonilla and the Director of the National Civil Police Telémaco Pérez, the communities resisted and defended themselves from police aggression for more than an hour and a half. Personnel from the High Commissioners Office on Human Rights, the [Guatemalan] Human Rights Ombudsman’s office, as well as human rights observers from international and national institutions bore witness to the police action." 

Women of the La Puya peaceful resistance. Photo: James Rodríguez, mimundo.org

Despite this violent repression, the brave men and women of La Puya continue to resist, and call on the international community "to take urgent measures in defense of the rights of the people of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc."

Join NISGUA, GHRC and MiningWatch Canada in solidarity with La Puya: Call on KCA and Radius Gold, the principal companies invested in the project, to halt all mining activities until the dialogue process has concluded between the Guatemalan government and the communities of La Puya, and to cease any pressure on Guatemalan authorities to use violent force against the protesters. 

Please consider adding your organizational signature to the letter and circulate it widely for individual sign ons via our online action page.

Dear Kappes Cassiday & Associates and Radius Gold, 

I write to you, the principal companies invested in the El Tambor mine project just north of Guatemala City, to vociferously denounce the violent repression on Friday May 23rd that Guatemalan security forces used on your behalf against men, women and children who have been peacefully defending their water, health and community wellbeing since March 2nd 2012. Considering the ongoing dialogue process between the Guatemalan government and the community, we urge you to halt all mining activities and to desist from any efforts to pressure Guatemalan authorities to use aggression and violent force against Guatemalan citizens.

On Friday, hundreds of police were deployed to the encampment known as La Puya; they used tear gas and flash bombs against an unarmed and peaceful group of protesters. Some were caught on video throwing rocks on the group from a nearby hill. Over twenty people were injured, two seriously; seven were taken to the hospital in Guatemala City. 

People at La Puya have demonstrated ongoing willingness to dialogue to find a non-violent solution to community concerns regarding the future of your project. In fact, for almost one year, representatives of the movement have been participating in a high-level dialogue with their government. They have requested that this dialogue be solely with their government – and not with KCA or Radius - because the issues on the table relate to the government’s obligations to respect the rights of its citizens. 

The dialogue stalled early last week when the government refused to allow the conversation to be recorded. During the standoff at La Puya on Friday, the Vice-Minister of the Interior insinuated that the government had agreed to accompany the mine equipment because the dialogue was effectively "broken." Community members at La Puya continue to reiterate that they want to complete the dialogue process, but with transparency. Encouraging the Guatemalan authorities and affected communities to find a peaceful solution to this conflict should be your top priority. 

The attack on Friday was not the first incident of violence against the people of La Puya. In June 2012, an unknown gunman shot and wounded Yolanda Oquelí while she was on her way home from the roadblock. In addition, security guards hired by EXMINGUA were convicted of intimidating journalists at the roadblock in December 2012.

Community concerns about the impact of the project on water and health are supported by an evaluation carried out by hydrogeology and geochemistry expert Robert Moran. He states in a May 22, 2014 review that your company’s Environmental Impact Assessment is the worst quality that he has seen out of hundreds he has reviewed in 42 years of experience. While the process has been slow, all parties were working toward an agreement to review the EIA to address the report's failure to consider water contamination due to high levels of arsenic already present in the soil. 

Although Radius Gold sold its shares in the local Guatemalan subsidiary Exploraciones Mineras de Guatemala S.A. (EXMINGUA) to KCA in August 2012, it retains an economic interest in the mine. The company's 2013 audited financial statements state that three quarters of the cost of the sale transaction will be paid to Radius once gold shipments commence from the property and that Radius also anticipates quarterly payments from KCA based on gold production. 

I call on Kappes, Cassiday & Associates of Nevada and Radius Gold of Vancouver halt all mining activities out of support for the dialogue process and to publicly call for an end to the use of violent force by Guatemalan security forces.

Sincerely,

[Your name or organization here]

cc: 

President Otto Pérez Molina

Guatemalan Ministry of the Interior

U.S. Embassy in Guatemala

Canadian Embassy in Guatemala

Genocide survivors respond to congressional resolution to deny genocide

"We are thousands of Guatemalan victims of grave human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict. The only thing we ask for is justice."  - Communique from survivors in response to congressional resolution to deny genocide

Genocide survivors gather in front of the Congress of the Republic.

On late Tuesday, May 13, the Guatemalan Congress passed a shocking resolution categorically denying that genocide occurred in Guatemala. The resolution states that the “so-called ‘trial of the century’” threatens “National Reconciliation”. 87 congressional members, of the 111 present, voted in favor of the resolution across party lines.

Today, genocide survivors gathered outside Congress to denounce this resolution. Below are excerpts from their statement.

Banners outside Congress call for truth and justice for genocide.

Communique from the Victims of the Guatemalan Genocide to the 

Congress of the Republic

The victims of the grave violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law, who suffered genocide, forced disappearance, torture, extra-judicial executions, sexual violence, massacres and assassinations committed by the forces of the State of Guatemala during the recent internal armed conflict, express our rejection of the congressional resolution approved by 87 representatives of the Congress of the Republic on May 13, 2014.

We remind the representatives that the state is required to respect the rights of victims to truth and justice precisely because Guatemala is a signatory to international human rights treaties and conventions. It is indispensable that grave crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity are judged and that justice is done.

We demand that the Congress of the Republic respect the National Reconciliation Law... We condemn any attempt to grant amnesty for these crimes.

We remind the representatives that the State of Guatemala has been condemned internationally for failing to investigate, judge and sanction the people who have committed acts of torture, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances, sexual violence and other grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.

Nobody and nothing should influence the Judiciary, not even these Congressional representatives who, coincidentally, will be electing the judges of the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court.

…We remind the representatives that their legislative duty should benefit the majority of the population and not a small group that feels directly affected; a court of law decided that - Yes, it was Genocide!

We express our concern and rejection of this resolution, which is a clear intervention in the justice system that puts at risk one of the fundamental pillars of the rule of law: swift and full access to justice...

This resolution simply demonstrates that personal and ideological opinions about the armed conflict take precedent over the common good. We are thousands of Guatemalan victims of grave human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict. The only thing we ask for is justice. 

We want to make clear to the 87 representatives that voted in favor of this resolution that the victims, keeping in mind our rights and obligations as citizens, acting with fraternal conduct and in the clear exercise of our human rights, request justice for what happened during the conflict. We have sought out this democratic and legitimate path. We presented charges against the material or intellectual authors of the atrocities that we suffered. This is our constitutional right that nobody and nothing can take away from us.

We invite the international community to observe the fulfillment of the international obligations of the state in human rights and humanitarian rights so that the barbaric acts committed against the civilian, non-combatant population are investigated, judged and sanctioned. We call on you to be attentive to any attempt to distort the law in favor of impunity.

Congressional representatives: we the victims, want peace – the same peace that you mention in your resolution – that is born of respect for human rights and the right to justice and dignified reparation, which is a primary guarantee that these acts will never be repeated.

In the name of those of us who want peace, that look for pathways to democracy and not hate, racism, impunity and forgetting, we demand that this resolution be retracted. As it says in the genocide sentence, “... to recognize the truth helps to heal the wounds of the past... the application of justice is a right that aids the victims and that also contributes to the strengthening of the rule of law in our country...”

NISGUA has provided human rights accompaniment to the witness' organization, the Association for Justice and Reconciliation, and their lawyers, the Center for Human Rights Legal Action since 2000.

Worldwide Day of Action: Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Genocide Sentence

On May 10, supporters, scholars and students from over a dozen countries celebrated the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence. The worldwide day of action brought together communities to support the survivors' decades-long struggle for truth and justice in Guatemala. People across the world read the sentence aloud, participated commemorative events and shared personal reflections. In Guatemala City, the one-year anniversary was celebrated in the Central Park with videos from the genocide trial, readings from the sentence and live music. The day prior, a conference titled "Dignifying the People's Truth" invited Ixil witnesses and experts involved in the trial to reflect on their experience and the importance of the process. NISGUA participated in the worldwide action by inspiring our grassroots network to organize events across the United States.

Below is a selection of videos of community actions held for the genocide sentence across the world. 

From NISGUA's network in Oakland, CA, Sue, Adolfo and Renee share readings of the historic genocide sentence and their personal reflections about its significance:

From the Ixil region in Guatemala, members of the Ixil Ancestral Indigenous Authority and other community members talk about the importance of the sentence to them and to their people:

From Buenos Aires, Argentina, scholars, students, professors and activists read excerpts from the genocide sentence:

Members of Collectif Guatemala, read the historic document in Paris:

Spanish partners, La Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas, Oaxaca y Guatemala de Madrid,  organize multiple May 10 events in Madrid, Spain:

From Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Germany and Puerto Rico, solidarity activists read portions of the genocide sentence:

From Australia, university students read from the sentence:

In Mexico City, Mexico, the National Autonomous University of Mexico hosted a conference on the impacts of the genocide sentence, one year later:

From the Radical Americas Network and a number of English universities, students and professors comment on the importance of the genocide sentence and read excerpts:

One year from the genocide sentence, the Guatemala Asociación Comunicarte released this moving footage of the original reading of the verdict.

Thanks to Skylight Pictures, we can also relive the genocide sentence word-for-word as read by Judge Yassmín Barrios on May 10, 2013:

Check out more videos and other media related to May 10 posted on the Guatemala 10 de Mayo, Sentencia por Genocidio Facebook page and on the Para que se Conozca Blog.  

Asesinato de joven de 16 años – Continúa la violencia vinculada a mina canadiense; urgen al Fondo de Pensiones de Canadá desinvertir en Tahoe Resources

El 13 de abril del 2014 Topacio Reynoso, una joven guatemalteca de 16 años, fue asesinada cerca de su comunidad de Mataquescuintla, Guatemala, donde organizaba un grupo de jóvenes en contra de la minería. Su padre, que había liderado la organización de una consulta municipal sobre la mina, fue herido de bala en el mismo incidente y permanece hospitalizado en estado de gravedad. Este es el ejemplo más reciente de la violencia y represión asociadas con la empresa Tahoe Resources que cotiza en la bolsa canadiense.

El día de hoy, la organización Alerta Minera Canadá se comunica por escrito* con el Consejo de Inversiones del Fondo de Pensiones de Canadá (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board – CPPIB), urgiendo su desinversión en Tahoe Resources. Alerta Minera sostiene que la inversión es una apuesta peligrosa e inaceptable.

La carta indica que Tahoe no ha revelado que decenas de miles de personas en cinco municipios cercanos al proyecto argentífero Escobal de Tahoe votaron de manera abrumadora en contra de la minería en sus comunidades. Por ejemplo, en el municipio de Mataquescuintla, de donde era oriunda Topacio Reynoso, más de la mitad de la población con derecho al voto participó en la consulta y un 96% - alrededor de 10,000 personas – votó en contra de la minería.

“La oposición a la mina Tahoe en los municipios aledaños es tan elevada que Tahoe le presentó una demanda al gobierno de Guatemala, exigiéndole a este último cumplir un rol más activo en la protección de la mina”, indicó Shin Imai, abogado en el Proyecto Justicia y Responsabilidad Empresarial (Justice and Corporate Accountability Project) de la Facultad de Derecho Osgoode Hall. “Si bien la Corte desestimó la demanda, dos meses más tarde, el gobierno declaró el estado de sitio en los municipios en que se había votado en contra de la minería y se emitieron más de una decena de órdenes de captura a nombre de personas cuya oposición a la mina era conocida”. 

Mientras que, del 2012 al 2013, hubo un aumento en la violencia y represión en contra de quienes se oponen a la mina, el CPPIB triplicó sus inversiones en Tahoe.

Pese a la amplia oposición al proyecto, Tahoe se precipitó para ponerlo en producción.

La carta indica que las afirmaciones de Tahoe en relación al depósito mineral en el proyecto argentífero Escobal no están respaldadas por un estudio de viabilidad, que es la norma para establecer mayor certidumbre en relación a los minerales que se puedan hallar. En julio del 2013, la Comisión de Valores de la Columbia Británica catalogó a Tahoe en su “Listado de emisores en mora” por no haber cumplido con los requisitos pertinentes de divulgación de información. La Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores de Estados Unidos también interpeló a Tahoe en relación a sus afirmaciones. Como resultado, Tahoe se vio obligada a corregir su Evaluación Preliminar Económica con objeto de clarificar que no se había realizado un estudio de viabilidad y reconocer que los proyectos carecientes de este estudio corren un “riesgo mucho más elevado de fracasar a nivel económico y técnico”. 

“Dada la amenaza que este proyecto supone para las comunidades en Guatemala, y en estos tiempos en que a la población canadiense le preocupa la capacidad del Fondo de Pensiones de Canadá de satisfacer sus necesidades futuras, esta inversión es sencillamente irresponsable”, observa Jen Moore, Coordinadora del Programa de Latinoamérica de Alerta Minera Canadá.

Moore agrega que el antiguo jefe de seguridad de Tahoe, Alberto Rotondo, está detenido a la espera de juicio por una agresión con armas de fuego en abril del 2013 contra manifestantes pacíficos que dejó seis heridos. “Es muy probable que aumente la violencia y el CPPIB debería evitar su involucramiento en esto”, concluye.

Contactos: 

• Jen Moore, Coordinadora del Programa de Latinoamérica, Alerta Minera Canadá, (613) 569-3439, jen(arroba)miningwatch.ca
• Shin Imai, Proyecto Justicia y Responsabilidad Empresarial (Justice and Corporate Accountability Project - JCAP), Facultad de Derecho Osgoode Hall, York University, (416) 736-5274, simai(arroba)justice-project.org 

*Las fuentes que acompañan a la carta dirigida al Consejo de Inversiones del Fondo de Pensiones de Canadá

Sixteen-year old girl murdered in continued violence associated with Tahoe Resources' mine, Canada Pension Plan urged to divest

(Ottawa/Toronto) A sixteen year old Guatemalan girl, Topacio Reynoso, was murdered on April 13, 2014 near her home town of Mataquescuintla, Guatemala where she was head of a youth movement against mining. Her father, a leader in organizing a municipal vote on the mine, was shot in the same incident and is in hospital in critical condition. This is the latest example of violence and repression associated with the Canadian-listed mining company Tahoe Resources' Escobal project.

Today, MiningWatch is sending a letter* to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board calling on the fund to divest from Tahoe Resources. MiningWatch argues that the investment is a dangerous and unacceptable gamble.

The letter says that Tahoe has failed to disclose that tens of thousands of people in five municipalities closest to Tahoe’s Escobal silver project have voted overwhelmingly against mining in their communities. For example, in the municipality of Mataquescuintla, home of Topacio Reynoso, over half of the eligible voters participated in a vote in which 96% - or some 10,000 people - voted against mining.  

“Opposition to the Tahoe mine in the surrounding municipalities is so great that Tahoe actually sued the Guatemalan government, demanding that the government do more to protect the mine,” remarks Shin Imai, lawyer for the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project at Osgoode Hall Law School. “Although the Court dismissed the suit, two months later, the government declared a state of siege in municipalities where people had voted against mining and issued arrest warrants for more than a dozen people known to oppose the mine.”

As violence and repression against mine opponents grew from 2012 to 2013, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board tripled its holdings in Tahoe.  

Despite broad opposition to its project, Tahoe rushed to put it into production.

The letter points out that Tahoe’s claims about the mineral deposit at its Escobal silver project are not backed by a feasibility study, which is normally used to establish the economic viability of exploiting a mineral deposit. In July 2013, the British Columbia Securities Commission put Tahoe on its ‘Issuers in Default List’ because the company did not comply with related disclosure requirements. The United States Securities Exchange Commission also questioned Tahoe about its claims. As a result, Tahoe was forced to amend its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) to clarify that no feasibility study had been done and to acknowledge that projects lacking such a study “have a much higher risk of economic and technical failure.”

“Given the threat this project poses to Guatemalan communities, and at a time when Canadians are concerned about the ability of the Canada Pension Plan to meet future needs, this investment is simply irresponsible,” remarks Jen Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada.

Moore adds that Tahoe’s former head of security, Alberto Rotondo, is under arrest awaiting trial for an April 2013 shooting against peaceful protesters, which injured six. “The violence is bound to worsen and the CPPIB should want no part in this,” she concludes.

Contacts:

• Jen Moore, Latin America Program Coordinator, MiningWatch Canada, (613) 569-3439, jen(at)miningwatch.ca
• Shin Imai, Justice and Corporate Accountability Project, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University,  (416) 736-5274, simai(at)justice-project.org

*Sources for the MiningWatch letter to the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board

Human Rights Convergence statement on the Attorney General nomination

The pact to maintain impunity consolidates with the nomination for Attorney General

The Human Rights Convergence states:

The director of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is a key and decisive position to guarantee that justice is done and that it is swift. With Doctor Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey at the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, meaningful steps were taken in recuperating the Office’s ability to undertake criminal persecution. The Nomination Committee for candidates for the Attorney General position missed an opportunity to advance [these steps]. Instead of offering the Guatemalan society a quality nomination, it presented a list that does not guarantee that this is achieved.

The list of candidates put forth by the Nomination Committee seeks to consolidate a pact to maintain impunity. It is a pact pulled together in the shadow of impunity, by structures responsible for grave human rights violations, sectors of the traditional economic power of the oligarchy and sectors of organized crime.

In the hands of deans, the majority of whom prevail from private universities, the President of the Guatemalan Bar Association and its Ethics Tribunal, the decision was made to form a list of applicants that does not comply with the minimum standards required for candidacy.

During nearly two months, the Nomination Committee joined in the perverse game, mounting a spectacle in which criteria was defined for rating the candidates’ qualifications, including requirements for work plans, education levels and interviews; criteria that was not respected in the end. [The Committee]  flagrantly violated the right to petition exercised by more than six thousand citizens, whose demand [that Paz y Paz be included in the final list of candidates] was illegally dismissed.

Therefore, the list of candidates that was approved and delivered to the President of the Republic includes people who have been sanctioned by the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, people lacking experience in criminal proceedings, people linked to the executive office, as well as people linked to private companies, among other shortfalls required for the position.

By presenting this list of candidates, which left out the only Attorney General who has demonstrated leadership in the pursuit of justice, the Nominating Committee has inflicted grave damage on Guatemalan society.

Thus, we reiterate our commitment to the pursuit of justice and we call on all Guatemalan citizens and the international community to uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights in Guatemala.

Guatemala, April 30, 2014

Worldwide action for the one-year anniversary of the genocide sentence

“We must raise awareness [so] that these kinds of events are never repeated, because the people of Guatemala want to live in peace, acknowledging our identity, our rich multicultural, multilingual [heritage] and the respect for the freedom of expression of our ideas.” 

-Genocide sentence (page 89 in English translation)

Photo: CMI Guatemala

This coming May 10, people around the world will celebrate the first anniversary of the Guatemalan genocide sentence against Efraín Ríos Montt.

On this day, we will remember when the High Risk Crimes Court “A”, presided over by Judge Yassmín Barrios, condemned former General José Efraín Ríos Montt to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity.

In commemoration of the first anniversary of this historic sentence for the genocide perpetrated against the Maya Ixil people in Guatemala, activities to read parts of the sentence are being organized in distinct locations across the world.

This idea was originally proposed by Dr. Marta Elena Casaús Arzú for men, women, academics, artists, students, families, religious groups and social organizations in Guatemala and elsewhere to join together in solidarity with the survivors who bravely shared their stories during the genocide trial.

The easiest way to join in is through Facebook and your own social media networks!

How?

• On your own or as a collective, select a phrase or paragraph* of the genocide sentence that has impressed you, that you consider to be important, that you want to emphasize so that it will be remembered.
• You can share the phrase on your Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #GenocideSentenceGT, #sentenciaporgenocidio, #YesItWasGenocide, #Sihubogenocidio.
• Record yourself reading the sentence, either audio or video, and share it via Instagram, Vine, Flipagram, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.
• Share your action with photos or drawings. Write a song or poem!
• Tag your post with these Facebook pages: Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala and Sentencia por Genocidio, or on Twitter @NISGUA_Guate. 
• If you do not have a Twitter or Facebook account, send your photos or videos directly to NISGUA, communications@nisgua.org.

We hope that this worldwide show of solidarity will bring visibility to the decades-long struggle for truth and justice in Guatemala and the achievements for justice in the historic genocide trial.

Join the movement!

Confirmed locations participating:

Guatemala City

Toulouse

Paris

Madrid

Barcelona

London

Mexico City

Buenos Aires

USA - North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, Ohio, Berkeley and Austin

Australia

Chile

Paraguay

Send us your city and state and we will add you to the list!

*You can find the portion of the genocide sentence that was read on May 10 here in Spanish or here in English (starting on page 74).

Acción mundial por el primer aniversario de la sentencia por genocidio

"No queremos que hechos de esta naturaleza vuelvan a repetirse, creemos en realidad que para que exista paz en Guatemala debe existir previamente justicia." 

- Sentencia por genocidio

Foto: CMI Guatemala

Este próximo 10 de mayo, se celebra a nivel mundial el primer aniversario de la sentencia por genocidio y por delitos contra los deberes de la humanidad en contra del general Efraín Ríos  Montt.

Recordemos que fue el 10 de mayo de 2013 que el Tribunal de Mayor Riesgo "A", presidido por la jueza Yassmin Barrios, condena al general José Efraín Ríos Montt a 80 años de prisión por genocidio y crímenes de deberes contra la humanidad.

Para conmemorar el primer aniversario de esa histórica sentencia condenatoria por el genocidio perpetrado en contra del pueblo Maya Ixil en Guatemala, se organizarán actividades en diversos lugares del mundo leyendo partes de la sentencia.

Esta idea original es propuesta por la Dra. Marta Elena Casaús Arzú a la que se unen hombres, mujeres, académicos, artistas, estudiantes, familias, religiosos, organizaciones sociales en Guatemala y el mundo, en solidaridad humana con las víctimas que valientemente contaron sus historias durante el juicio.

La manera más sencilla de hacerlo es por medio de la página en Facebook o en tu propia red social.

¿Cómo?

• Puedes hacerlo de manera individual o colectiva.
• Debes leer una frase o un párrafo* de la sentencia que te haya impresionado, o consideres importante resaltar para no olvidar.
• Puedes escribirla entrecomillada, con un post en Facebook o Twitter con el hashtag #sentenciaporgenocidio #genocidiogt #sihubogenocidio. 
• Puedes grabarte leyéndola, ya sea en audio o video, a través de Instagram, Vine, Flipagram, YouTube y otras plataformas.
• Puedes postear una fotografía o un dibujo. Puedes hacer una canción o poema!
• Puedes etiquetar en tu publicación a las páginas de  Facebook: Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala y Sentencia por Genocidio o en Twitter @NISGUA_Guate.
• Si no tienes una cuenta de Facebook o Twitter, puedes compartir tus fotos o videos directamente con NISGUA, escríbenos a communications@nisgua.org.

Esperamos que esta muestra de solidaridad a través del mundo traiga visibilidad en la lucha por la justicia en Guatemala y hagamos de éste país un lugar mejor.

Lugares de lectura:

Guatemala

Toulouse

París

Madrid

Barcelona

Londres

México

Buenos Aires

EEUU- Carolina del Norte, Nueva York, Massachusetts, Los Ángeles, Ohio, Berkeley, Austin

Australia 

Chile

Paraguay

Únete a la lista!

*Se puede encontrar la lectura de la sentencia por genocidio aquí en español y aquí en inglés (empezando con la página 74).

Organizaciones internacionales exigen justicia ante ataque armado en contra de líderes comunitarios opuestos a la mina Escobal de Tahoe Resources

Merilyn Topacio Reynoso Pacheco, 1997 -2014 (Foto: Danilo Zuleta)

Han pasado dos semanas desde el ataque mortal contra Alex y Topacio Reynoso, lideres comunitarios de Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, quienes estuvieron oponiéndose activamente a la mina El Escobal de Tahoe Resources en el sureste de Guatemala. Murió Topacio, quien tenía solo 16 años, y fue gravemente herido su papa, quien sigue bajo cuidado intensivo en el hospital. NISGUA está en solidaridad con la familia Reynoso y los miles de familias más pidiendo el derecho a la libre determinación, quienes han sufrido una intensificación de violencia, represión y criminalización desde la llegada de la empresa minera Tahoe Resources, de capital estadounidense y canadiense. 

 

Miles de familiares, amigos y vecinos honraron a Topacio, 15 de abril en Mataquescuintla.
(Foto: latribunadelpatojo)

Estudiantes y amigos hicieron banderas para llevar durante la procesión funeraria. (Foto: latribunadelpatojo)

Hoy NISGUA, junta con 35 organizaciones internacionales más, entregó una carta abierta a las autoridades Guatemaltecas denunciando el ataque y pidiendo justicia. Versión en ingles aquí.

Dra. Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey

Fiscal General de la República de Guatemala

1 de mayo del 2014

Re: Ataque armado en contra de líderes comunitarios opuestos al proyecto minero de Tahoe Resources

Estimada Doctora Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey,

Las organizaciones abajo firmantes estamos muy preocupados ante las noticias del ataque del 13 de abril en contra de Edwin Alexander Reynoso y su hija de 16 años, Merilyn Topacio Reynoso Pacheco. Rechazamos este ataque violento y exigimos que el Ministerio Publico realice una investigación completa e imparcial para asegurar que los responsables sean juzgados. También pedimos que la investigación sea trasladado de la Fiscalía Distrital de Jalapa a la Fiscalía de Delitos Contra Defensores de Derechos Humanos.

Merilyn Topacio Reynoso fue asesinada en el ataque, y Alex Reynoso sigue bajo cuidado intensivo en el hospital después de sufrir cuatro heridas de bala en el pecho y el estómago. Padre e hija son activistas de la Resistencia Pacifica en Defensa de los Recursos Naturales de Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, lo cual se ha organizado en contra de la mina Escobal de Tahoe Resources, ubicada en San Rafael las Flores. Goldcorp mantiene 40% de las acciones de Tahoe Resources, la cual opera el proyecto Escobal a nivel local mediante su filial, Minera San Rafael.

La familia Reynoso ha estado al frente de la lucha regional por la defensa del derecho al consentimiento previo, libre e informado, la auto-determinación, y los derechos humanos, que se organizó ante la llegada de Tahoe Resources a los departamentos sureste de Jalapa y Santa Rosa en 2010. Topacio fue una lideresa del movimiento juvenil de Mataquescuintla en contra de la minería y una defensora de derechos humanos muy conocida y activa. Su padre, Alex Reynoso, es un líder comunitario muy reconocido por su trabajo en la consulta comunitaria y como representante de la Resistencia Pacifica en Defensa de los Recursos Naturales de Mataquescuintla.

En Noviembre 2012, la municipalidad de Mataquescuintla celebró la primera consulta municipal en el departamento de Jalapa, sumándose a otras tres municipalidades en Santa Rosa que han expresado un rotundo “no” a la minería en su territorio. En diciembre del 2013, la Corte de Constitucionalidad dictó en favor de la consulta en Mataquescuintla, reconociendo la responsabilidad de las autoridades municipales en convocar esas consultas y tomar decisiones según sus resultados, afirmando su valor como "medios adecuados para que los pueblos puedan ejercer su derecho a dar su opinión y ser consultados sobre temas de interés." Hasta la fecha, se han realizado 14 consultas comunitarias en los municipios, las ciudades y las aldeas alrededores del proyecto.

A seis kilómetros del proyecto Escobal, los residentes de Mataquescuintla siguen opuestos al proyecto de Tahoe. Pero, en vez de respeto para su derecho a la auto-determinación y a decir no a este proyecto, han sufridas varias actas de violencia, intimidación y represión:

• Desde 2011, han sido acusados, sin fundamento legal, más de 100 personas involucradas en la resistencia a la mina.
• Entre marzo y mayo del 2013, en dos ocasiones, la policía desalojó violentamente el campamento pacifico, legítimo y legal radicado fuera de la mina
• En abril del 2013, las fuerzas de seguridad privada de Tahoe atacaron seis manifestantes pacificas fuera de la mina; uno fue gravemente herido. El ex jefe de seguridad de Tahoe Resources, Alberto Rotondo, sigue bajo arresto domiciliario mientras se espere la apertura del juicio en su contra, por supuestamente haber ordenado el ataque, y por lesiones y la obstrucción de justicia.
• En mayo 2013, Presidente Otto Pérez Molina declaró un estado de sitio en cuatro municipalidades alrededor del proyecto de Tahoe, inclusive en Mataquescuintla.

Estamos muy preocupados por la violencia y la persecución en contra de los defensores de derechos humanos y líderes comunitarios quienes están opuestos a la mina de Tahoe. Está sumamente importante que el crimen que terminó en el asesinato de Topacio Reynoso y las lesiones de que ahora sufre Alex Reynoso no sigue en la impunidad. Exigimos una investigación completa e imparcial por la Fiscalía de Delitos Contra Defensores de Derechos Humanos para asegurar que haya justicia, y para prevenir más violencia en la región. También pedimos que la investigación sea trasladado de la Fiscalía Distrital de Jalapa a la Fiscalía de Delitos Contra Defensores de Derechos Humanos. Tenemos entendido que Alex Reynoso está recibiendo protección policíaca mientras se recupere del ataque. Exigimos que el Ministro de Gobernación siga trabajando en conjunto con el Procurador de Derechos Humanos para asegurar la seguridad de Alex Reynoso y de su familia.

Muchas de nuestras organizaciones han tenido enlaces y/o compromisos profundos por varios años con los grupos opuestos a la mina de Tahoe Resources, y recientemente, muchas de ellas han visitado a las comunidades afectadas para reunirse con líderes locales y defensores de derechos humanos. Reconocemos que este tipo de violencia, la cual ocurre con preocupante frecuencia en y alrededor de las minas que hay en Guatemala, es también un grave problema global. Muchas de las organizaciones abajo firmantes están actualmente participando en una campaña llamada “Abierta para la Justicia,” para exigir legislación que garantice el acceso a la justicia en las cortes canadienses para las personas afectados por las operaciones mineras internacionales de las empresas Canadienses.

Le agradecemos su atención a esta solicitud y esperamos su apreciada respuesta.

Organizaciones firmantes:

Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN) – Canada

Café Justicia Ottawa Education in Action – Canadá

Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy, La Crosse, Wisconsin - USA

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) - USA

The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America  - USA

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL) – Québec 

Conference of Major Superiors of Men – USA

Denver Justice & Peace Committee - USA

Environmental Network for Central America (ENCA) – United Kingdom

Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) – USA

Guatemala Partnership Committee, Congregational Church of Needham - USA

Guatemala Solidarity Network – United Kingdom

Guatemalan Working Group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario - Canada

Heart of the Sky Fair Trade - USA

Inter Pares – Canada

Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul - Kingston, Ontario - Canada

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives - Canada

Kickapoo Guatemala Accompaniment Project - USA

La Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas y Guatemala de Madrid - Spain

Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) – Canada

Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network – Canada

Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, Toronto, Ontario – Canada

Mining Justice Action Committee, Victoria, British Columbia – Canada

Mining Justice Alliance, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories – Canada

MiningWatch Canada

Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) - USA

New Hampshire-Vermont Guatemala Accompaniment Project (NH-VT G.A.P.) - USA

Oxfam America

Partners for Arlington and Guatemala, Arlington, VA - USA

The Peace and Justice Committee of First Churches, Northampton, MA - USA

Peace Watch Switzerland (PWS)

Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala – Québec

SalvAide – Canada

Social Justice Connection – Québec

SOAW – LA - USA

SOA Watch - USA

St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America - USA

University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Guatemala Research Group – Canada

cc:

Erick Archila Dehesa

Ministro del Ministerio de Energía y Minas

Ing. Fernando Castellanos

Director General de la Minería, Ministerio de Energía y Minas

Mauricio López Bonilla

Ministerio de Gobernación

Michelle Melisa Martínez Kelly

Ministra del Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales

Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Guatemala

Deputy Political-Economic Counselor, William Ayala

Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Guatemala

Oficial de Asuntos Políticos, Norman Galimba 

Embajada de Canadá en Guatemala

Embajador Stuart Savage

Embajada de Canadá en Guatemala

Oficial de Asuntos Políticos Colleen Pigeon

International organizations demand justice in deadly attack against opponents of Tahoe Resources' mine

Merilyn Topacio Reynoso Pacheco, 1997 - 2014. (Photo: Danilo Zuleta)

Two weeks have passed since the deadly attack against Alex and Topacio Reynoso, community leaders from Mataquescuintla, Jalapa who were actively opposed to Tahoe Resources' Escobal mine in southeastern Guatemala. Topacio, just 16 years old, was killed, and her father was seriously injured. He remains in hospital in serious condition. NISGUA stands in solidarity with the Reynoso family and the thousands of other families demanding the right to self determination, who have suffered increasing violence, repression and criminalization since the 2010 arrival of the US and Canadian listed mining company, Tahoe Resources. Goldcorp holds 40% of Tahoe Resources’ shares.

Thousands of family and friends honor Topacio in Mataquescuintla, April 13, 2014 (Photo: latribunadelpatojo)

Classmates and friends made flags to carry during the funeral procession (Photo: latribunadelpatojo)

Today, NISGUA, together with 35 other international organizations, submitted a letter to Guatemalan authorities denouncing the attack and calling for justice.
Spanish version / versión en Español here.

Dr. Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey
Attorney General of the Republic of Guatemala
E-mail: fiscalgeneral@pm.lex.gob.gt
15 Avenida 15-16 zona 1, Barrio Gerona, 8o nivel, Ciudad de Guatemala

May 1, 2014

Re: Armed attack against activists opposing Tahoe Resources’ Escobal Mine

Dear Dr. Claudia Paz y Paz Bailey,

The organizations that are signatories to this letter are deeply troubled by news of the April 13 armed attack against Edwin Alexander Reynoso and his 16-year-old daughter, Merilyn Topacio Reynoso Pacheco. We condemn this violent attack and call on your office to conduct a full and impartial investigation to ensure that that those responsible are brought to justice. We request that the investigation be transferred from the District Prosecutor of Jalapa to the of the Special Prosecutor's Office on Human Rights.

Merilyn Topacio Reynoso was killed in the attack, and Alex Reynoso remains in intensive care having been shot four times. Both father and daughter are activists in the Peaceful Resistance in Defense of Natural Resources of Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, which has organized in resistance to Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine in neighboring San Rafael las Flores. Goldcorp holds 40% of Tahoe Resources’ shares, and the Escobal project is operated locally by Tahoe’s subsidiary, Minera San Rafael.

The Reynoso family has been at the forefront of the region-wide struggle in defense of the right to free, prior and informed consent, self-determination and human rights since the arrival of Tahoe Resources to the southeastern departments of Jalapa and Santa Rosa in 2010. Topacio was a leader of the Mataquescuintla youth movement against mining and an active and well-known human rights defender. Her father, Alex, is a community leader and key representative of the Peaceful Resistance in Defense of Natural Resources of Mataquescuintla, recognized for his role in the organization of the community consultation.

In November 2012, the municipality of Mataquescuintla held the first municipal referenda in the department of Jalapa, joining three other municipalities in Santa Rosa that have said ‘no’ to mining in their territory. In December 2013, the Constitutional Court found in favour of the vote in Mataquescuintla, acknowledging the responsibility that municipal authorities have to convene such votes and to make decisions according to their results. This affirmed their value as the “adequate means by which peoples may exercise their right to give their opinion and be consulted on topics of interest.” To date, there have been 14 community referenda in municipalities, towns and villages surrounding the Escobal project.

Six kilometers from the Escobal mine, the residents of Mataquescuintla continue to oppose any development of Tahoe’s project. But instead of respect for their right to self-determination and their repeated expressions of opposition to the project, the communities and municipalities surrounding the mine have been met with multiple acts of violence, intimidation and repression:
Since 2011, more than 100 individuals involved in mine resistance have had unfounded legal charges filed against them. 

On two occasions between March and May 2013, the police violently evicted a peaceful, legitimate and legally located encampment outside the mine.

In April 2013, Tahoe security guards attacked six peaceful protesters outside the mine; one was critically injured. Former head of security for Tahoe Resources, Alberto Rotondo, is under arrest awaiting trial for allegedly ordering the attack. He is facing charges for bodily harm and obstruction of justice. 

In May 2013, President Otto Pérez Molina declared a state of siege in four municipalities surrounding Tahoe’s project, including Mataquescuintla.

We are very concerned with the ongoing violence and persecution of human rights defenders and community leaders who oppose Tahoe’s mine project. It is important that the killing of Topacio Reynoso and the attack against Alex Reynoso not remain in impunity. We call for a full and impartial investigation by the Special Prosecutor's Office on Human Rights in order to ensure justice and to prevent further violence in the region. We also request that the investigation be transferred from the District Prosecutor of Jalapa to the of the Special Prosecutor's Office on Human Rights. We understand that Alex Reynoso is receiving police protection while he recovers from the attack. We call on the Ministry of the Interior to continue to coordinate with the Human Rights Ombudsmen Office to ensure the safety of Alex Reynoso and his family.

Many of the organizations that have signed this letter have deep and lasting relationships and/or commitments with the groups opposing Tahoe's mine. Many have recently visited the affected communities to meet with local leaders and human rights defenders. We recognize that violence, which occurs with disturbing frequency in and around mine sites in Guatemala, is also a serious global issue. Many of the below signatories are currently engaged in the “Open for Justice” campaign, which is calling for legislated access to justice in Canadian Courts for people who have been harmed by the international operations of Canadian companies.

We appreciate your time and consideration of this appeal and look forward to your response.

Signed:

Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN) – Canada

Café Justicia Ottawa Education in Action – Canadá

Center for Alternative Mining Development Policy, La Crosse, Wisconsin - USA

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) - USA

The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America  - USA

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL) – Québec 

Conference of Major Superiors of Men – USA

Denver Justice & Peace Committee - USA

Environmental Network for Central America (ENCA) – United Kingdom

Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) – USA

Guatemala Partnership Committee, Congregational Church of Needham - USA

Guatemala Solidarity Network – United Kingdom

Guatemalan Working Group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario - Canada

Heart of the Sky Fair Trade - USA

Inter Pares – Canada

Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul - Kingston, Ontario - Canada

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives - Canada

Kickapoo Guatemala Accompaniment Project - USA

La Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas y Guatemala de Madrid - Spain

Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN) – Canada

Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network – Canada

Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, Toronto, Ontario – Canada

Mining Justice Action Committee, Victoria, British Columbia – Canada

Mining Justice Alliance, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories – Canada

MiningWatch Canada

Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) - USA

New Hampshire-Vermont Guatemala Accompaniment Project (NH-VT G.A.P.) - USA

Oxfam America

Partners for Arlington and Guatemala, Arlington, VA - USA

The Peace and Justice Committee of First Churches, Northampton, MA - USA

Peace Watch Switzerland (PWS)

Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala – Québec

SalvAide – Canada

Social Justice Connection – Québec

SOAW – LA - USA

SOA Watch - USA

St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America - USA

University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Guatemala Research Group – Canada

cc:

Erick Archila Dehesa

Minister of Energy and Mines

Ing. Fernando Castellanos

General Director of Mining, Ministry of Energy and Mines

Ministry of the Interior

Michelle Melisa Martínez Kelly

Minister, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources

US Embassy in Guatemala

Deputy Political-Economic Counselor, William Ayala

US Embassy in Guatemala

Political Affairs, Norman Galimba

Canadian Embassy in Guatemala

Ambassador, Stuart Savage

Canadian Embassy in Guatemala

Political Counsellor, Colleen Pigeon

Download the letter in English or Spanish.

NISGUA has accompanied communities in opposition to the Tahoe Resources Escobal mine since 2011.