GHRC Condemns Attempted Assassination of Yolanda Oquelí / GHRC denuncia atentado contra Yolanda Oquelí

[en español abajo]

The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA denounces the attempted assassination of community leader and anti-mining activist, Yolanda “Yoli” Oquelí.

On June 13th, at approximately 6:30pm, Yoli was ambushed by two men on a motorcycle while driving to her home in San José del Golfo. She was shot at repeatedly; one bullet entered above her right kidney.

Yoli was immediately rushed to a public hospital by community members where she underwent emergency surgery. She is currently in stable condition.

Yoli has been a vocal and passionate opponent of the installation of extractive mining operations in the communities of San Jose del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc. Her inspiring leadership is just one example of the coordinated efforts of men, women and children in these communities to say “NO” to mining and its potentially devastating effects on local drinking water, farming land and the environment in general.

However, two international corporations refuse to respect the will of these communities: the Canadian mining corporation Radius Gold and the U.S. engineering firm Kappes, Cassiday & Associates. Through their Guatemalan subsidiary Exploraciones Mineras de Guatemala (Exmingua) they continue to push their open-pit and underground gold mining operation known as the Tambor Mine.

On March 2, 2012, local residents started a roadblock in order to prevent tractors, excavators and other mining equipment from entering their communities. Those who take turns guarding the roadblock have sworn to embrace the practice of nonviolent, peaceful resistance in defense of their rights.

On May 8th, a caravan of mining machinery, accompanied by hundreds of Guatemalan riot police, arrived in the middle of the night in an attempt to break the roadblock. They were unsuccessful.

Days before the attempt on her life, Yoli and other pro-environment activists presented a series of formal complaints to the Public Ministry regarding acts of intimidation, threats, and criminalization that they have suffered as a result of their defense of their natural resources.

To the Guatemala Government and the International community, GHRC declares:

* We denounce and condemn this latest attack on the brave women and men who, through the use of peaceful protest and nonviolent demonstration, are defending their rights to clean water, a healthy environment, and self-determination.

* We call on the Guatemalan authorities to investigate, capture, and prosecute all those responsible for this heinous crime; the hired guns as well as those who planned the assassination.

* We insist that authorities guarantee the safety and well-being of the community members of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc and to find a negotiated solution to this conflict which prioritizes the needs of the Guatemalan people over the profits of international corporations.

* GHRC stands in solidarity with Yolanda and wishes her a quick and complete recovery. We offer our heartfelt sympathy for her family, especially her two young children, for the fear and trauma that this attacked most assuredly had provoked.

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You can take action to support Yoli and her community by signing GHRC’s petition. 

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La Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala en Washington, EE.UU. (GHRC) denuncia el atentado contra la vida de Yolanda “Yoli” Oquelí, lideresa comunitaria y activista en el movimiento antiminero.

El 13 de junio, aproximadamente a las 6:30pm, Yoli se dirigía a su casa en San José del Golfo cuando fue atacada por dos hombres en una moto. Dispararon varias veces; una bala entró cerca a su hígado.

De inmediato, Yoli fue conducida a un hospital público por miembros de la comunidad, donde la atendieron de emergencia. Actualmente se encuentra en condición estable.

Yoli ha trabajado de forma muy visible y apasionada en oposición a las operaciones de la minería extractiva en las comunidades de San José del Golfo y San Pedro Ayampuc. Su liderazgo inspirador es solo uno de los múltiples ejemplos de los esfuerzos coordinados entre los hombres, mujeres y jóvenes de estas comunidades para decir ´NO´ a la minería y sus impactos negativos, dentro de los cuales se incluye la contaminación del agua potable del área, de las cosechas y del medio ambiente en general.

Sin embargo, dos empresas internacionales niegan respetar la voluntad de estas comunidades: la corporación minera canadiense Radius Gold y la firma de ingeniería estadounidense Kappes, Cassiday&Associates. A través de su subsidiario Exploraciones Mineras de Guatemala (Exmingua) siguen impulsando su proyecto de minería subterráneo y a cielo abierto conocido como la Mina Tambor.

El 2 de marzo de 2012, miembros de la comunidad iniciaron un bloqueo con el fin de prevenir la entrada de los tractores, excavadoras y otro equipo de minería. Los que se turnan para mantener el bloqueo se han comprometido en abrazar la práctica de resistencia pacífica y la no violencia en la defensa de sus derechos.

El 8 de mayo, una caravana de maquinaria de minería, resguardada por cientos de agentes antimotines de la Policía Nacional Civil, llegó a la medianoche intentando quebrantar el bloqueo. No tuvieron éxito.

Unos días antes del atentado contra su vida, Yoli y otros defensores del ambiente presentaron una serie de denuncias ante el Ministerio Público sobre actos de intimidación, amenazas y criminalización que han sufrido como resultado de su defensa de sus recursos naturales.

GHRC manifiesta ante el Gobierno de Guatemala y la comunidad internacional que:

• Denunciamos y condenamos este último ataque contra las mujeres y hombres valientes quienes, a través de la protesta pacífica y la manifestación no violenta, defienden sus derechos al agua limpia, a un medio ambiente sano y la auto-determinación.

• Hacemos un llamado a las autoridades guatemaltecas a investigar, capturar y sancionar a aquellos responsables por este crimen atroz; tanto los autores materiales como intelectuales.

• Instamos a las autoridades a que garanticen la seguridad y bienestar de los miembros de la comunidades San José del Golfo y San Pedro Ayampuc y que encuentren una solución a través del diálogo la cual da prioridad a las necesidades del pueblo de Guatemala y no a las ganancias de las multinacionales.

• Expresamos nuestra solidaridad con Yolanda y esperamos que se recupere rápidamente y completamente. Ofrecemos nuestro respaldo a su familia, en especial a sus dos hijos pequeños, por el miedo y el trauma que este ataque sin duda ha provocado.

Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala en Washington, EE.UU. Washington, DC
14 de junio de 2012

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Se puede tomar acción para expresar su apoyo de Yoli y su comunidad a través de nuestra petición.

Weekly News Roundup

April 27^th- May 3^rd

• Human rights organizations protest against Canadian mining company. On April 27^th a group of thirty activists of human rights organizations protested Goldcorp’s mining operations in Toronto while the company was holding its Annual General Meeting in Timmins, Ontario. The protesters hoped to raise awareness of the company’s human rights abuses and environmental violations. The mine has been criticized locally and internationally for contaminating water sources; condoning intimidation, threats and attacks against community members; disregarding community referendums and international regulations, among other abuses.

• Cases of sexual violence and human trafficking on the rise. Given the growing number of cases of sexual abuse and human trafficking, judges and lawyers will hold prevention and awareness workshops. Additionally, on April 30^th the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Thelma Aldana, announced that a specialized tribunal will start investigating crimes related to sexual violence and exploitation and human trafficking in August.

• Thousands of workers participate in International Workers’ Day marches on May 1^st. Echoing the demands of previous campesino and union marches this month, the International Workers’ Day marchers demanded an end to militarization and exploitative mining projects and criticized the decision by Congress to freeze further dialogue concerning the rural development law. They also asked for higher salaries and an end to high levels of impunity. According to Carlos Contreras, Guatemala’s Employment Minister, seven out of ten companies violate labor rights. In the first months of 2012 more than 4,000 complaints of labor violations have been sent to the Department of Labor.

• Guatemala declares state of siege in Huehuetenango on May 1^st. Interior Secretary Mauricio Lopez Bonilla sent a contingent of 100 military and 160 police forces to Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango to “restore order” after a group of 200 men armed with machetes and guns took over a military base in the area. Security forces arrested nine men involved in the mob after the declaration of the siege. That same afternoon, one community member was assassinated, and two others injured, in attacks by armed men with apparent links to the company. The village of Santa Cruz Barillas has outspokenly protested against the construction of the hydroelectric company and denounced the lack of consultation. The community is calling for a suspension of the company’s license.  According to Interior Secretary Mauricio Lopez Bonilla the riots were started by a group of intoxicated men who had been celebrating the La Cruz festival. President Perez Molina justified the state of siege on the grounds that the rioters were accomplices of drug traffickers. Human rights and peasant organizations repudiate the state of siege.

• Former police officer to stand trial for his involvement in Spanish Embassy fire in 1980. On the day of the fire, January 31^st 1980, the Embassy was stormed by indigenous protestors who wanted to inform the world about human rights abuses committed during the internal armed conflict. Former police officer Pedro Garcia Arredondo is accused of keeping firefighters from extinguishing the fire and ignoring the ambassador’s plead to withdraw his forces.

• 5,708 remains of victims of the internal armed conflict unearthed. Juan de Dios Garcia, representative of Adivima, confirms that the exhumation of victims’ remains helps to push the Public Prosecutor’s Office to move forward with their investigations of the massacres, and to bring justice to the victims and their families. He also mentions that finding the remains of the disappeared gives family members the peace of mind to know where their loved ones are and enables them to carry out a proper burial in keeping with cultural traditions.

• Candidates for the position of the Human Rights Ombudsman summoned to hearing. Candidates were asked to respond to questions and concerns from civil society groups. Most questions were directed towards the current Ombudsman Sergio Morales. The next step in the election process will be a forum discussion to be held May 11. Civil society organization released a public call to the Congressional Commission for Human Rights asking for an evaluation of the immediate necessities of the Office of the Ombudsman to strengthen the institution. With regards to the election of the Ombudsman, they recommend considering candidates whose defense of human rights, academic background, honesty and impartiality have sustained national and international acclaim.

Weekly News Round-Up

National News

• President-elect Perez Molina announced the appointment of three former Kaibiles to serve as Minister of Defense, Commander in Chief, and Sub-Commander in Chief—Noé Anzueto, René Casados Ramirez, and Manuel López Ambrosio, respectively.  All three appointees have had very close ties to the Kaibiles.
• Christa Castañeda Torres, the niece of former first lady Sandra Torres, will be tried this week on charges of money laundering in the municipality of Democracia, Huehuetenango.  Gloria Torres and her daughter, Maria Marta, are also being tried for money laundering and fraud.
• President-elect Pérez Molina expressed his support of the Attorney General, Claudia Paz y Paz, reiterating that he plans to maintain her mandate through his presidency.  U.S. Ambassador Arnold Chacon also showed his support of Paz y Paz, applauding her contributions and announcing an additional $3.2 million in U.S. funding to the Cicig.

International News

• InSight Crime looks at the achievements of Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz, who has been responsible for some significant progress in Guatemala’s justice system and several high-profile arrests.  However, it appears the Paz y Paz’s position may be under fire by the incoming president, Otto Perez Molina.  While, Perez Molina announced this week his full intention to maintain her post, it remains to be seen how that promise will play out in the coming year.
• Guatemalan authorities announced the dismantling of a human sex trafficking ring that lured young Guatemalan women to work as prostitutes in Jordan.  The women were promised employment upon arrival in Jordan, but were instead sold for sexual exploitation.
• According to the annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) recently released by Transparency International, Guatemala’s perception of corruption increased significantly between 2010 and 2011, dropping from 90^th to 120^th out of 183 countries. Al-Jazeera analyzes the factors and recent events contributing to the drop.
• The Tico Times provides a harrowing report of the high rates of chronic malnutrition rampant among Guatemalan children and families.  According to the Times, malnourishment is a ‘life sentence,’ which greatly threatens the physical and mental development of young children.
• A piece by Southern Pulse analyzes the growing control of the Zetas drug cartel over the Guatemala-Mexico border, particularly the Chiapas-Peten corridor, in the context of recent arrests by security forces and Otto Pérez Molina’s promises to impose an aggressive military crack-down on narco-trafficking.
• The Guatemala Times and El Periodico report on the recent release of millions of documents from the Guatemalan national police archives, which will now be publicly available online thanks to collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin.  The documents contain valuable information on torture, forced disappearances and violence during Guatemala’s armed conflict. Read more about the archives and the history of the national police at UT-Austin’s website.

Weekly News Round-Up

National News

• Otto Pérez Molina met with the United States Commander in Chief of SOUTHCOM, General Douglas Fraser, earlier this week to discuss plans to improve intelligence services, special forces, paratroopers, kaibiles, the National Civil police and bolster radar capabilities in the fight against narco-trafficking.  During the meeting, General Fraser made promises to provide training and support to high and mid-level Guatemalan command forces, invited Pérez Molina to a Miami command base to learn about radar operations, and agreed to support the implementation of the C4i system.  The C4i system—command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence—is a US-funded and monitored technology project that would provide aerial and satellite photo capabilities, 6 Super Tucano airplanes, three radar systems, and meteorological computer monitoring.
• Amid a series of cabinet appointments announced this week, the president-elect has also announced plans to create a new vice-minister position to serve as a ‘sort-of czar of narco-trafficking’ to oversee all anti-narcotic activities and forces.  Pérez Molina did not provide details as to the financing or possible structure of such a position.
• Plaza Publica provides a lengthy and revealing profile of Rozana Baldetti, the first female to ever be elected vice-president in Guatemala.  The article covers some questionable aspects of Baldetti’s stint as a journalist, her conservative and religious social views, and her political path towards the Patriot Party.
• In regards to the extradition of Alfonso Portillo, the United States government has indicated that it has no responsibility to comply with the requirements of the American Human Rights Convention as requested by the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, because it is not an official signer of the convention.  Portillo has openly criticized President Colom’s decision to authorize his extradition, arguing that it was illegal and arbitrary.
• According to a report released by the Presidential Secretary of Women (SEPREM), 24.5% of women did not report incidents of violence due to feelings of embarrassment, while 17.4% didn’t report because they didn’t feel it was necessary and 15.7% feared retaliation.  In a recent press conference, Sonia Escobeda of SEPREM argued that violence against women in Guatemala has reached an ‘alarming rate’—in the past 10 years, 5,000 violent deaths against women have been recorded.
• Members of the Trans-Border, Migration and Gender Roundtable have expressed concerns over an increase in excessive violence against migrants on the Guatemalan-Mexico border.
• Earlier this week, security forces captured Elio Lorenzana, supposed narco-trafficker. Immediately following the capture, he was transferred to the capital city, where his sentence will be determined and the process of extradition to the United States will begin.
• Alongside Otto Perez Molina, Mauricio Lopez Bonilla will take office as the new Minister of the Interior in January.  In an interview with La Hora, Bonilla discusses some of the new administration’s plans to tackle security in Guatemala including the establishment of inter-institutional working groups, direct collaboration with the Attorney General’s office and Helen Mack, seeking assistance from U.S. intelligence officials, and re-employing kaibiles and paratroopers to bring down the Zetas.

International News

• The Huffington Post provides brief coverage of Portillo’s extradition, including a photo slide-show of the ex-president.  Portillo has been charged with money laundering related to the embezzlement of $1.5 million in foreign donation.
• Check out yet another damning report on the current situation of poverty, violence and corruption in Guatemala, published by IPS. The article focuses on the high child malnutrition rate, increasing murder rate, high level of impunity, and other challenges facing the incoming administration.
• For a more uplifting vignette, the New York Times covers a small but growing project to create Guatemala’s own version of Silicon Valley.  Housed in one simple brick building, Campus Tecnológico is a group of creative social and technology enterprises striving to turn the heart of Guatemala City into an entrepreneurial hub.