INDE secretly approves company for hydroelectric dam
News came through international sources this week that the National Institute for Electricity (INDE) secretly granted the Brazilian company Intertechne Consultores rights to the Xalalá hydroelectric project. In January of this year, INDE requested bids for the project, but in April they declared to have deserted the request. The proposed Xalalá hydroelectric dam on the Chixoy River, along the border of the departments Quiché and Alta Verapaz, has been contentious since the plan was first proposed in 2004. It would affect more than 50 communities, and approximately 18,000 residents said no to the project in a community consultation in 2007. In the last few months, state institutions, especially those involved in energy, have been active in Xalalá. For example, some testified that INDE representatives attempted to bribe leaders for the support of the community. The presence of the army has also increased. Continue reading
Guatemala Human Rights Commission 