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

Letter to the president expressing solidarity with San José Nacahuil

On September 7, six unknown men shot and killed eleven in San José Nacahuil, in the municipality of San Pedro Ayampuc. Today, NISGUA submitted a letter, signed by over a dozen international organizations, to President Otto Pérez Molina to express our solidarity with the community of San José Nacahuil and to call for a thorough and impartial investigation of this crime. Read the full letter below.

September 20, 2013

Dear President Otto Pérez Molina,

The undersigned organizations express our condolences to the community of San José Nacahuil and to the families of those who lost loved ones this past Saturday, September 7th. In solidarity with them, we call on the Guatemalan government to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into the deadly attack, especially into allegations of police involvement.

On September 7 at 11 pm, 24 people were shot by unknown men in the town of San José Nacahuil in the municipality of San Pedro Ayampuc, just north of Guatemala City. Eleven of the victims died at the scene.

Minister of the Interior Lopez Bonilla immediately blamed the attack on gangs and placed the community under the control of a special contingent of police and soldiers. However, relatives of those killed suspect that the police may have facilitated the crime, or even carried it out. According to various reports, police arrived 20-30 minutes before the shooting, stopping at a few businesses demanding bribes. Community members also claim that the killers followed the same route through town on their killing spree that the police had taken minutes earlier. The Vice Minister of the Interior, however, immediately dismissed the possibility of police involvement.

Community authorities of San José Nacahuil, as well as other indigenous and grassroots organizations, criticized Bonilla for attributing the crime to gangs without first investigating. Further, they demanded that the police and military be removed from the community. Family members of the victims have also asked for an investigation into the police and their role in the shooting. 

San José Nacahuil is the only indigenous community in San Pedro Ayampuc. The population is made up of Maya Kaqchikel people, and the town has its own authorities, including a community police force. Residents expelled the national police six years ago, and local officials report a reduction in crime since that time.

Like many indigenous communities in Guatemala, the people of Nacahuil have suffered attempts to impose development projects without their free, prior and informed consent. In response, many residents of Nacahuil have participated in non-violent resistance, such as the ongoing peaceful road blockade at “La Puya” in the neighboring municipality of San José de Golfo. The blockade began in March of 2012 to prevent the construction of the El Tambor gold mine, which they fear will cause contamination and deplete scarce water resources. The mine is currently operated by Kappes, Cassidy & Associates (KCA) based in Reno, Nevada, which acquired the project from Vancouver-based Radius Gold in August 2012. 

In other struggles against mega-development projects in Guatemala, including Tahoe Resources’ Escobal silver mine in San Rafael las Flores and Hidralia Energia’s hydroelectric dam in Santa Cruz Barillas, violence was used as a pretext by the government to declare a state of siege, which suspends constitutional rights. In both instances, the government then ordered the arrest of resistance movement leaders.

Members of La Puya signaled concern in the days leading up to the attack regarding increased police presence, including agents not assigned to local stations. In the past, the police have been used to try to intimidate and disburse groups involved in peaceful protest. In December of last year, police wielding tear gas arrested four protesters. All were released the same day due to a lack of evidence of any illegal activity.

We express our condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones and to the community of San José Nacahuil. We call on the Guatemalan government to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into Saturday’s deadly attack, especially into allegations of police involvement, with the assistance of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala. 

Further, we demand that the rights of the residents of Nacahuil and the surrounding region be respected, including their rights to life, security, and freedom of expression. Nacahuil has maintained effective security in their own community, and we ask the government to respect their call to withdraw members of the police and military. Finally, we call on the government to respect the rights to protest and to free, prior and informed consent over mega-projects that may affect their lives and lands.

Breaking the Silence, Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network - LACSN, MiningWatch Canada, Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network, Horizons of Friendship, Global Exchange, SalvAide, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA), Social Justice Committee of Montreal, Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala (PAQG), Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Guatemala Human Rights Commission, OPSEU Social Justice Fund, Oxfam

Carta al presidente expresando solidaridad con San José Nacahuil

El 7 de septiembre, seis hombres desconocidos dispararon y mataron a once miembros de la comunidad de San José Nacahuil, en la municipalidad de San Pedro Ayampuc. El día de hoy, NISGUA entregó una carta, firmada por organizaciones internacionales, al Presidente Otto Pérez Molina para expresar nuestra solidaridad con San José Nacahuil y para exigir una investigación exhaustiva e imparcial sobre los acontecimientos. Leer la carta entera aquí.

20 de septiembre de 2013

Estimado Presidente Otto Pérez Molina:

Las organizaciones abajo firmantes expresamos nuestras condolencias a la comunidad de San José Nacahuil y a las familias que perdieron a sus seres queridos el sábado 7 de septiembre. En solidaridad con ellos, llamamos al gobierno guatemalteco a realizar una investigación exhaustiva e imparcial sobre este hecho de violencia, especialmente sobre las acusaciones de participación de agentes de la Policía Nacional Civil (PNC).

El 7 de septiembre alrededor de las 23 horas, 24 personas fueron atacadas a balazos por hombres desconocidos en la aldea San José Nacahuil de San Pedro Ayampuc, al norte de la Ciudad de Guatemala, el saldo del ataque fue de once  personas muertas y trece heridas, entre ellas menores de edad.

El ministro de Gobernación Mauricio López Bonilla, de manera inmediata, culpó a las  maras del ataque y puso a la comunidad bajo el control de un contingente especial de policías y soldados. Sin embargo, familiares de las víctimas señalan a la policía de haber facilitado  y/o participado en el ataque. Según varios informes, la policía llegó 20 ó 30 minutos antes de la masacre exigiendo el pago de un soborno a un comerciante. Miembros de la comunidad también afirman que los asesinos siguieron la misma ruta a través de la aldea,   que la policía había tomado minutos antes. El ministro de Gobernación, no obstante, inmediatamente desestimó la posibilidad de involucramiento policial.
 
Autoridades comunitarias de San José Nacahuil, así como otras organizaciones indígenas y sociales criticaron a López Bonilla por atribuir el delito a las  maras sin primero investigar. Además, exigieron que la policía y el ejército fueran retirados de la comunidad. Familiares de las víctimas también han pedido una investigación sobre la policía y su rol en  la masacre.

San José Nacahuil es la única comunidad indígena en San Pedro Ayampuc. La población está conformada por  pueblo Maya Kaqchikel y la aldea tiene sus propias autoridades y sus propias formas de seguridad comunitaria. Residentes expulsaron a la Policía Nacional Civil hace seis años y  datos oficiales registran una reducción en delitos desde aquel tiempo.

Como muchas comunidades indígenas en Guatemala, el pueblo de Nacahuil ha sufrido intentos de imponer proyectos de desarrollo sin su consentimiento libre, previo e informado. En respuesta, muchos residentes de Nacahuil han participado en la resistencia no violenta, como el actual bloqueo pacífico en “La Puya” en el vecino municipio de San José de Golfo. El bloqueo se inició en marzo de 2012 para prevenir la construcción de la mina de oro El Tambor, que ellos temen cause contaminación y disminuya sus escasos recursos hídricos. En la actualidad, la mina es propiedad de  Kappes, Cassidy & Associates (KCA), cuya sede se encuentra en Reno, Nevada, la cual adquirió el proyecto a la  empresa canadiense Radius Gold en agosto de 2012.

En otras luchas en contra de mega proyectos  en Guatemala, entre ellas,  la mina de plata  Tahoe Resources en San Rafael las Flores y la hidroeléctrica Hidralia Energia en Santa Cruz Barillas, el gobierno ha aprovechado situaciones de conflicto y violencia para justificar la implementación de estados de sitito,  con lo cual suspende derechos constitucionales. En  ambos casos  el gobierno luego ordenó la detención de líderes comunitarios que participaron en la resistencia a los mega proyectos. 

Días antes del ataque en Nacahuil, miembros de La Puya señalaron preocupación por la presencia exagerada de policía, incluso agentes sin asignación a las estaciones locales. En el pasado, la policía ha sido usada para atentar,  intimidar y reprimir a grupos involucrados en protestas pacíficas. En diciembre del año pasado, policías empuñando gases lacrimógenos detuvieron a cuatro manifestantes de La Puya que luego fueron puestos en libertad  por  falta de pruebas.

Reiteramos nuestras condolencias a las familias  que han perdido a sus seres queridos y a la comunidad de San José Nacahuil. Llamamos al gobierno guatemalteco para realizar una investigación exhaustiva e imparcial sobre  la masacre. Debido a los señalamientos de los comunitarios de la participación de elementos de la PNC, pedimos la participación de la Comisión Internacional Contra la Impunidad en Guatemala (CICIG) en la investigación. 

Además, exigimos que los derechos de los residentes de Nacahuil y de la región circundante sean respetados, incluidos  sus derechos a la vida, la seguridad y la libertad de expresión. Nacahuil ha mantenido una seguridad interna efectiva en su  comunidad. Pedimos al gobierno que respete la voluntad de las autoridades locales y la comunidad y no imponer un esquema de seguridad ajeno, por ejemplo, una subestación de la PNC o un destacamento militar sin su consentimiento. Finalmente, llamamos al gobierno a respetar el derecho de la libre determinación de la comunidad a decidir sobre los mega proyectos que afecten sus vidas y su territorio.

Breaking the Silence, Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network - LACSN, MiningWatch Canada, Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network, Horizons of Friendship, Global Exchange, SalvAide, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA), Social Justice Committee of Montreal, Projet Accompagnement Québec-Guatemala (PAQG), Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America, Guatemala Human Rights Commission, OPSEU Social Justice Fund, Oxfam

Urgent communique denouncing assassination of Santos Fidel Ajau Suret, member of La Puya encampment

On Tuesday, July 9, Santos Fidel Ajau Suret, a member of the ongoing peaceful resistance at La Puya, was assassinated. The MadreSelva Collective released the following communique denouncing his assassination. Translation by NISGUA, in Spanish here. 

Urgent Communique
We denounce the cowardly assassination of Santos Fidel Ajau Suret, activist of La Puya encampment

Santo Fidel Ajau Suret, 54 years old, member of the community of San Antonio El Ángel and activist at the La Puya encampment, was the victim of a cowardly assassination on Tuesday, July 9, while on his way home.

We reject this vile murder, carried out at 5:15 PM by two men driving motorcycles on the dirt road that connects San Jose del Golfo to the community of San Antonio El Ángel. Mr. Fidel was shot three times in the back followed by two coup de grace.

We also denounce that on the same night, July 9, unknown men fired gunshots outside the home of Yolando Oquelí in San José del Golfo.

The modus operandi of this murder is similar to the previous attempt on the life of Yolanda Oquelí in June of last year. This past Sunday, Santos Ajau received threats from people known to have participated in acts of harassment organized by the mining company. Throughout the month of June and continuing until now, the resistance at the La Puya encampment has been subject to harassments and threats, including gunshots.

The community members of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc oppose the installation of the mining project Progreso VII Derivada, authorized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines without the consent of impacted communities. The mining project is the property of the US. company Kappes Cassiday & Associates (KCA). The investors in this project have launched a campaign of harassment and threats against the lives of members of La Puya resistance, contracting ex-military who were active during the internal armed conflict. This is the case of retired military personnel Pablo Silas Orozco who led the aggressions against activists at La Puya. Orozco has been criminally charged for threats against members of the press who were physically and verbally accosted by Orozco during November of last year.

The communities that form the resistance at La Puya are participating in preliminary meetings with the maximum authorities of the country, including President Otto Pérez Molina and the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources to demand the cancellation of the Progresso VII Derivada mining project. To the above-mentioned authorities: we demand the immediate cancellation of mining and hydroelectric licenses granted to companies that have carried out criminal actions against the population. An example of which are the cases of Ecoener Hidralia Energia – Hidro Santa Cruz in Huehuetenango, Mina San Rafael – Tahoe Resources in Santa Rosa and Kappes Cassiday & Associates – KCA.

Stop the assassination of those defending life and territory!

We demand a thorough investigation into the vile assassination of Santos Fidel Ajau Suret!

The government of Pérez Molina must cancel the licenses for extractive industries companies that have carried out criminal actions against the Guatemalan people!


Yes to life, No to mining!

Members of La Puya resistance meet with President Otto Pérez Molina

Yolanda Oquelí (foreground) meets with Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina and
Minister of The Interior Mauricio Lopez Bonilla. Photo: Giles Clarke

In an uncharacteristic move, President Otto Pérez Molina and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) invited members of the peaceful resistance of La Puya to a high level meeting last week to explain their ongoing opposition to the El Tambor (Progresso VII) gold mine located in the municipalities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc. Community members have maintained a constant presence at the entrance of the mine site for the past 15 months.

In the hours long meeting, community representatives explained the reasons for the resistance highlighting the lack of consultation and serious flaws in the Environmental Impact Assessment, as demonstrated in the analysis conducted earlier this year. Leader of the resistance, Yolanda Oquelí described the meeting stating: "This isn't a quick fix or a negotiation. We came at the invitation of the president and the minister of Energy and Mines because they wanted to know why we oppose the mining project." According to an article published on the MEM website, the authorities insisted on the environmental and economic viability of the project and offered to carry out a physical inspection of the mine installations with the participation of relevant local organizations.

Also invited to the high level meeting were representatives from the US company behind the project, Kappes Cassiday & Associates, their legal council, which also represents Canadian mining giant that owns Guatemala's Marlin Mine, GoldCrop, and principle investors in the project. However, at the request of the representatives from La Puya, KCA's meeting with the president was held separately. La Puya maintains firm that their concerns and demands are with the Guatemalan government, and not the private company.

A supporter holds a sign saying "I peacefully resist" outside the presidential palace.
Photo: CPR Urbana

While just 10 representatives were allowed inside the meeting, scores of community members and supporters of the peaceful resistance gathered outside the Presidential Palace. At the request of La Puya resistance, the Independent Media Center (CMI) gained access to the meeting in order to film the proceedings from within. 

A boy watches footage of the presidential meeting in La Puya. Photo: NISGUA

On Sunday, June 16, the resistance at large gathered at La Puya to watch the footage from Wednesday's meeting. A community assembly is pending to discuss the meeting and to make a decision surrounding next steps moving forward. In the assembly on Sunday, the La Puya representatives recognized that there struggle has been hard and exhausting, but reaffirmed that after 15 months in resistance they have no intention of stopping now.