Take Action: Call on the U.S. Embassy to stand up for political prisoners Saúl and Rogelio

On September 1, Barillas land defenders Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez will stand trial again for accessory to murder. Citing serious irregularities and major errors in the initial trial earlier this year that condemned both men to 33 years and 4 months in prison, a Special Appeals court ruled on May 15 to annul the sentence and ordered the case be retried.

Both men have spoken out against the imposition of hydroelectric dams in their home in northern Huehuetenango and, like many other leaders, are now feelings the effects of a pattern of criminalization that has increased dramatically over the past few years. 

TAKE ACTION to help ensure Saúl and Rogelio get a fair trial!

Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez, during their Special
Appeal trial. Photo: Gustavo Illescas (CMI-Guatemala)

Currently, six other men from Huehuetenango are detained and awaiting trial for outlandish legal charges that include terrorism and kidnapping - all are active community leaders who have organized to demand respect for their right to consultation regarding the imposition of mega-development projects in their territory. Across the United States, members of the NISGUA base are writing letters of encouragement to all of the leaders from Huehuetenango currently imprisoned for standing up for life. Click here to send a message of solidarity to the political prisoners and let them know they are not alone.

For more information, read NISGUA's report on the movement for community referenda on mining and hydroelectric dams and the corresponding trend of criminalizing leaders standing up against unjust resource extraction. 

Both Saúl and Rogelio are accused of being accomplices in the assassination of Guadalupe Francisco and Mateo Diego Simón, killed by a mob of roughly 500 people in 2010. Despite serious holes in the prosecution's evidence - including shaky witness testimonies and an inability to place both men at the scene of the crime - a Huehuetenango court found both men guilty of being accomplices to murder in February 2015. Saúl and Rogelio were previously detained from May 2012 – January 2013, accused by Spanish company, Hidro Santa Cruz of causing disturbances associated with the assassination of community member Andrés Francisco Miguel, on May 1 2012. 

The retrial will open on September 1 and is expected to take a month and a half. If everything moves forward as scheduled, the sentencing hearing will take place on October 13, 2015. 

Family members of the accused are calling for an international presence at the retrial, including from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, as one way to ensure that Saúl and Rogelio get a fair trial. TAKE ACTION! Call on the U.S. Embassy to recognize the intentional manipulation of the Guatemalan justice system by transnational corporations, and observe the retrial. All signatures will be collected before August 21 to be turned in to the Embassy prior to the start of the retrial on September 1. 

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

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).

Urgent Action from La Puya: Call for an End to Police Intimidation and Eviction Threats

The National Police, at the service of US mining company Kappes Cassiday and Associates (KCA), have been carrying out acts of intimidation and threatening eviction against communities in resistance at La Puya, just north of Guatemala City. Early April 9, a local company contracted by KCA, Transmac S.A., arrived at the mine site with heavy machinery, and with a National Civil Police (PNC) escort as ordered by the Ministry of the Interior. By mid-day, Transmac was forced to remove the machinery from the area. However, two representatives of KCA’s local subsidiary, EXMINGUA, remained throughout the day. The police presence also stayed and increased. By 2 pm, there were roughly 300 agents, many of whom were women dressed in full riot gear, lined up outside the entrance to the peaceful encampment.

The massive police presence, particularly the presence of female agents, gave the impression that an eviction attempt was imminent. Hundreds of people gathered at La Puya spent the afternoon under intense pressure and fear. While an arrest warrant was never emitted and the PNC made no attempt to remove the encampment, there is a clear intent to intimidate and provoke confrontation with the population in peaceful resistance.

The communities opposing KCA's El Tambor gold mine have made clear that their actions are focused on stopping a project that will destroy their lives and livelihoods. They are not blocking the public road or impeding free transit. The communities maintain their willingness to dialogue with the government.

Excessive police presence continues in areas surrounding La Puya and there is concern that a violent eviction will be attempted in the near future.

Take Action!

Call and email Kappes Cassiday and Associates CEO, Dan Kappes, and the Ministry of the Interior in Guatemala now:

• Express your concern for the safety of the men, women and children in peaceful resistance;
• Demand an end to intimidation and harassment by police and private security, and respect for human rights;
• Urge respect for the ongoing dialogue and No to eviction of La Puya. 

Kappes Cassiday and Associates
Dan Kappes - kca@kcareno.com
Ryan Adams – radams@kcareno.com
US Phone (775) 972- 7575


Ministry of the Interior
Minister Mauricio López Bonilla - fdeleon@mingob.gob.gt
Guatemala Phone (011) 502-2413-8888

"Justice for genocide: A survivor's story" 2013 tour accomplishments

In October 2013, NISGUA and the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) traveled the greater United States to share a story of determination and resilience: a 13-year journey that finally brought former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt to trial for genocide in Guatemala. Through international human rights accompaniment, NISGUA has partnered with the AJR since the beginning and has previously brought members of their organization to speak in the US about their monumental work for justice in Guatemala. During this year's tour, we were honored to spread word about the AJR's incredible work as plaintiffs in the historic genocide trial and to connect them to a broad US audience.

Anselmo Roldán, president of the Association for Justice and Reconciliation
joined NISGUA for our 2013 tour, "Justice for genocide: A survivor's story"

University students across the US had the opportunity to learn about the AJR's
historic struggle for justice.

In Los Angeles, Anselmo spoke to a largely Guatemalan crowd who demonstrated their
support for the AJR and demanded justice for genocide in Guatemala.

San Francisco, City Supervisor David Campos honored the AJR on behalf
of the city of San Francisco.

.

Over the course of three weeks, AJR President Anselmo Roldán represented the AJR, meeting with over 1,000 individuals in 13 cities in some 40 speaking events. Thanks in large part to the thoughtful event organizing and hosting by many of NISGUA’s dedicated sponsoring communities, former accompaniers and members the AJR, the tour achieved:

• Strategic meetings in Washington, D.C. with Senator Tom Udall, Representatives Frank R. Wolf, Donna Edwards, Raúl Grijalva and Special Ambassador on War Crimes Stephen Rapp. These meetings updated members of the US government about the denial of justice that has taken place since the genocide trial’s annulment and informed them about the AJR's subsequent complaint against the Guatemalan state in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. In addition, the meetings garnered support for the AJR and sparked interest in writing a congressional letter on the issue of the genocide case, similar to the 2007 letter, initiated by Representative Grivalva, which called for Ríos Montt's arrest.

• Cross-cultural capacity building at the Alliance for Global Justice's Tear Down the Walls national conference in Tucson, AZ. Anselmo presented the workshop, "The Guatemalan Genocide Case: Tearing Down the Walls of Impunity," and also participated in workshops on immigration, environmental justice, and the drug war in the Americas. 

• Connections with Guatemalan Americans throughout the US, particularly in California. In Los Angeles, local organizations including Mujeres Abriendo Caminos, Centro Colectivo de Centro America in Los Angeles, the Maya Center, AGUA, and MayaVision came out to meet and support Anselmo.

• Formal public recognition from the Guatemalan Education and Action Project (GEAP) and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. While in Los Angeles, GEAP presented the AJR with a certificate in recognition of their work and its special significance to the solidarity communities living in the United States. In San Francisco, City Supervisor David Campos gave a moving speech, honoring the AJR on behalf of the city of San Francisco. Anselmo returned to Guatemala with these two beautiful forms of recognition to share with the entire AJR board of directors and members.

• School presentations at American University, Pomona College, California State University, Mission College, Oberlin College, Loyola University - Chicago, Viterbo University, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, University of Wyoming, Regis University and the City College of San Francisco. All university presentations were widely attended by students and community members, some of whom had never heard about the Guatemalan genocide. Anselmo shared his story and left a lasting impact in the classrooms and lecture halls.

• Media coverage, including articles and interviews with La Opinión, Laramie Boomerang, Upside Down World and radio interviews with WORT - Madison, NPR – Laramie,  KUVO’s “La Nueva Voz,” and KPFA’s “La Raza Chronicles”. These media engagements brought the AJR's story that much further by sharing it with those who might not have been able to attended  events.

• Broad base support and action: our 2013 fall tour action campaign garnered over 700 petition signatures saying NO to amnesty for Ríos Montt as well as several hundred written personal messages to the AJR in support of the genocide sentence. We presented the bilingual postcards to the AJR board of directors and they were deeply moved by the powerful messages from supporters across the US. We plan to share the messages with all AJR members later this Spring.

Our fall tour has concluded but you can still show your support for the AJR! Help us reach 1000 signatures on our petition by the end of January!  Sign on and write a personal message by participating in our online campaign.

Take action: Tell Tahoe Resources to pack its bags and leave Guatemala!

The time has come to support community resistance to the Escobal mine by echoing their voices internationally. 

Take Action! Write Kevin McArthur, President of Tahoe Resources, to demand the company respect communities' right to self-determination and leave Guatemala!

Since communities surrounding Tahoe Resource's Escobal silver mine first organized community consultations against the project in 2011, NISGUA has closely followed and reported on ongoing resistance to the mine. During the past year, conflict around the mine site located in San Rafael las Flores in southeast Guatemala has intensified. For in-depth NISGUA analysis on community opposition to the Escobal mine and other movements in defense of territory, read our detailed report, Exercising rights: Communities defend territory.

In May 2013, a series of referenda on the future of the Escobal project in mine affected communities of San Rafael Las Flores was abruptly cut short when the government called for a state of siege in the region. The state of siege, just one step away from a state of war, undermined legitimate resistance and quashed the consultation process.

In the days following the declaration of the state of siege, former security manager for Tahoe Resources, Alberto Rotondo, was charged with ordering the April 27 attack that seriously wounded six community members. A report recently made public revealed that in mid-2012, Rotondo authored an incident report for Tahoe subsidiary, Minera San Rafael, that outlined a strategy to respond to community opposition through the criminalization of community and religious leaders. 

In addition to expressing opposition to the project through community consultations, more than 200 individuals affected by the Escobal project filed legal complaints about the project with the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM). MEM dismissed all of the community complaints, clearing the path for the granting of Tahoe's mining license. The complainants appealed MEM's dismissal, and in July, a Guatemalan court ruled in their favor, a decision that partner groups believe should effectively suspended the company's exploitation license. Despite these still unresolved questions, Tahoe has moved forward with production, reporting its first shipment of mineral concentrate on October 15.

Take action: tell Tahoe Resources to leave Guatemala!

Genocide trial opens amidst attacks against community leaders

"The past is still present."
-- Independent journalist, commenting on recent attacks against activistson the eve of the Ríos Montt trial

On Sunday, March 17, the President of the Xinca Indigenous Parliament and three other Xinca leaders were abducted by a group of heavily armed men. While two of the kidnapped men escaped, Exaltación Marcos Ucelo was found dead early Monday morning. After more than 24 hours missing, Roberto Gonzalez Ucelo, President of the Xinca Parliament was found alive.

TAKE ACTION: Call for an investigation and the departure of Tahoe Resources in response to recurring violence

The four Xinca leaders were on their way home from observing a community consultation in El Volcancito, San Rafael Las Flores when they were attacked. The community consultation is the third in a series of 26 referenda planned in the municipality. Read more about the ongoing consultation process.

El Volcancito holds a community consultation on March 17 (credit: NISGUA)

In response, Interior Minister Mauricio López Bonilla made statements in the press conflating the non-violent community organizing in the municipalities of Mataquescuintla and San Rafael Las Flores with this and other recent violence. His comments are further evidence of ongoing stigmatization and criminalization of human rights defenders in Guatemala, an issue that was raised specifically with regard to the situation in San Rafael Las Flores in the UN’s report on Guatemala delivered this January.

On Friday, March 15, human rights defender and member of the Departmental Assembly of Huehuetenango (ADH), Rubén Herrera, was arrested for alleged crimes committed in relation to the Barillas case, a conflict stemming from the Guatemalan government's lack of respect for the community consultation process carried out in 2007. Despite a clear rejection of large-scale development projects in their territory, the government granted Hidro Santa Cruz S.A. permission for construction of the Cambalam hydroelectric dam.

In a hearing held on Tuesday, March 19, Herrera was denied bail and accused of 12 crimes, including kidnapping and terrorism. Despite arguments from the defense team and the Public Prosecutor's office demonstrating the lack of evidence linking him to these crimes, the judge denied Herrera's bail and ordered the case to move to pretrial proceedings on May 30. Read the ADH urgent communique here.

Rubén Herrera of the ADH (credit: James Rodríguez, mimundo.org)

NISGUA stands in solidarity with the Rubén Herrera and the Departmental Assembly of Huehuetenango in denouncing the systematic criminalization and persecution of community leaders and human rights defenders.

These incidents come on the heels of the Constitutional Court decision to uphold the 1997 Mining Law against a constitutional challenge presented by the Western Peoples’ Council (CPO) for lack of prior consultation with indigenous peoples. The current mining law fails to fulfill national and international mandates that require the State to consult with indigenous people regarding projects or policies that will significantly impact their territories.

NISGUA, together with the Coalition against Unjust Mining in Guatemala, submitted a press release critiquing the Guatemalan Government's denial of justice for indigenous peoples affected by mining.

“Not only is this ruling a negation of justice, it is a negation of the existence of indigenous peoples' right to participate as political actors,” said Francisco Mateo Rocael, representative of the Western Peoples' Council in response to the Court's ruling. Read NISGUA's full translation of the CPO statement.

NISGUA has accompanied communities and organizations resisting Tahoe's Escobal project since 2011. NISGUA also works closely with the Departmental Assembly of Huehuetenango (ADH) in their efforts to promote self-determination and alternative visions of development in the highland department of Huehuetenango. The ADH receives international human rights accompaniment from NISGUA through the ACOGUATE project and participated in NISGUA's 2010 tour.

Genocide trial opens tomorrow - NISGUA's coverage and actions

For more than a decade, members of the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala have had the honor to walk alongside survivors of genocide in their long struggle for justice. Tomorrow, we will accompany them in the next step on the path of memory, as they stand as witnesses in the Guatemalan courts, where the Generals Efraín Ríos Montt and Mauricio Rodriguez Sánchez are accused of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Join us in our live coverage of the trial, which will be shared via our Twitter feed @NISGUA_Guate, using the hashtags #GenocideGT, #GenocidioGT, and #RMTrial. A video livestream from the courtroom will be broadcast via paraqueseconozca.blogspot.com starting at 8:30am CST.

The Open Society Justice Initiative has also debuted a website dedicated to live coverage of the trials, www.riosmontt-trial.org, which will serve as a clearinghouse for up to the minute information on the proceedings.

You can personally show your support by signing our Pledge in Support of Justice for Genocide (via Facebook Causes or NISGUA's website) and joining our photo solidarity campaign, both actions which we will share with the witnesses and activists who have made the trial possible.

"I pledge to follow the Guatemalan genocide trial; remain attentive to the monitoring and reporting carried out by Guatemalan human rights defenders and international observers; take action in the event of obstruction of justice or threats to witnesses, lawyers or experts involved in the case; and remain vigilant following the verdict."

How to create your photo for justice:

1. Print out one of these signs: JUSTICIA por GENOCIDIO en Guatemala

...or JUSTICE for GENOCIDE in Guatemala

...or make your own with the hashtags we'll be using throughout the trial: #GenocidioGT/#GenocideGT.

2. Add your own detail. For example, hand write a personal message or sign with your twitter handle, or use NISGUA's: @NISGUA_Guate!

3. Upload your photo to Facebook and tag us in your photo, or send your photo to communications[at]nisgua[dot]org.