Victoria para La Puya: Corte guatemalteca ordena suspensión de trabajos de construcción en la mina El Tambor

La GHRC aplaude el fallo de un tribunal de amparo de Guatemala que el 15 julio ordenó que se realice una consulta de vecinos sobre proyectos que los afecten y ordenó la suspensión de trabajos de construcción en la mina El Tambor.

El fallo es un indicio positivo para los miembros de las municipalidades de San Pedro Ayampuc y San José del Golfo quienes se han unido en resistencia pacífica para oponerse a un proyecto que consideran altamente dañino.

El movimiento conocido como ‘La Puya’ ha mantenido una presencia los 24 horas al día, 365 díal al año en la entrada del sitio por más de tres años. Durante ese tiempo La Puya ha denunciado actos intimidatorios e ilegales de parte de la empresa guatemalteca que posee la licencia de minería, EXMINGUA, junto con su casa matriz Kappes, Cassidy & Associates, empresa estadounidense con sede en Reno, Nevada.

La querella legal presentada en octubre de 2014 por las autoridades de dos comunidades afectadas, El Carrizal y El Guapinol, acusa al gobierno municipal de no cumplir con su deber de actuar por el bien de los ciudadanos.

La denuncia acusa al Consejo Municipal de San Pedro Ayampuc -donde se ubica la mina – de fallar en su deber de detener los trabajos de construcción en la mina y de no defender los intereses de las comunidades afectadas. Argumentan que el Consejo tenía la responsabilidad de actuar dado su conocimiento que la empresa había violado la ley operando sin licencia de construcción, teniendo documentación de preocupaciones sobre la contaminación y la cualidad del agua y por no haber llevado al cabo una válida consulta previa.

Victory for La Puya: Guatemalan Court Orders Suspension of Construction Operations at the El Tambor Mine

GHRC applauds the July 15 resolution by a Guatemalan appeals court which ruled in favor of the right of residents to be consulted about projects that affect them and ordered the suspension of construction activities at the mine.

The ruling is a positive sign for community members from San Pedro Ayampuc and San Jose del Golfo who have joined together in non-violent resistance to oppose what they see as a deeply harmful mining project.

The movement, known as ‘La Puya,’ has maintained a 24-hour presence at the entrance to the site for over three years. During that time, La Puya has denounced intimidating or illegal actions on the part of the Guatemalan company that holds the mining license, EXMINGUA, as well as by its parent company, Reno-based Kappes, Cassiday & Associates.

This legal complaint, however, filed in October 2014 by authorities from two of the affected communities, El Carrizal and El Guapinol, targets the government for its failure to act on behalf of its citizens.

The complaint accuses the Municipal Advisory Council of San Pedro Ayampuc – where the mine site is located – of failing to act to stop construction activity at the mine site and for its failure to defend the interests of the affected communities. They argue the Council had the responsibility to act given their knowledge that the company had broken the law by operating without a construction permit, having documentation regarding concerns about water quality and contamination, and not carrying out valid prior community consultation.

Guatemala News Update: July 28-August 1

Another threat to the peaceful resistance of La Puya

At 2 a.m. on July 31 in San José del Golfo, employees of Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) and Mining Explorations of Guatemala (EXMINGUA) tried to enter the El Tambor mining site, destroying spaces the San José del Golfo community had been using for cooking, meetings, and celebrations in the process. The workers were trying to move three vans and heavy equipment used for washing minerals onto the site, and at 8:24 am were joined by 200 police officers who threatened the residents of San José del Golfo with eviction if they did not allow the workers to enter the site. The peaceful resistance of La Puya eventually withdrew without using force around 11 a.m. and let the machinery pass onto the site to avoid violence.

Guatemalan Court rules in favor of Sipacapa residents against Goldcorp subsidiary

On March 24 the Mayan Council of Sipacapa demanded that the “Los Chocoyos” mining permit, which was granted to the Goldcorp Inc. subsidiary Entre Mares de Guatemala S.A. by the General Director of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, be canceled. Last Friday, July 18, a Guatemalan court ruled in favor of the residents of Sipacapa and declared that the Guatemalan government must consult with the local population before granting any kind of mining permits, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and ILO 169.

Employees of EXMINGUA-KCA plead guilty to threats against journalists

Yesterday, in a ground breaking court case, Juan José Reyes Carrera y retired Guatemalan Army Lt. Pablo Silas Orozco Cifuentes were sentenced to two years in prison for “threats and coercion” against independent journalists reporting on local resistance to a U.S.-owned gold mine.

Reyes and Orozco are both employees of Exmingua, the Guatemalan subsidiary of Nevada-based mining company Kappes, Casssiday & Associates (KCA).

The guilty verdict could set an important precedent in Guatemala where transnational corporations across the country have engaged in similar tactics, hiring locals (often former military officials) and using intimidation to attempt to break grassroots opposition to mines, hydroelectric dams and mega projects.

Since March of 2011, community members from San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc have maintained a peaceful roadblock near the entrance to KCA’s “Progreso VII Derivada” gold mine, not allowing any heavy mining machinery to pass. This nonviolent resistance, known as “La Puya,” has faced constant threats and attacks.

On November 22, 2012 Carrera and Orozco arrived at La Puya accompanied by pro-mining shock troops dressed as miners. They began threatening, harassing, and verbally attacking the men, women and children of the resistance. They then turned their verbal assault on the journalists covering the confrontation, calling them“long-haired hippies,” “filthy bastards” and threatening to “cut off their hands” if they kept taking photographs.

As a condition of the plea-bargain that lead to the guilty verdict, both men can avoid serving jail time by paying a fee of Q15,000 (US$1,875) each, which amounts to roughly $3 per day, for the length of their sentence.

Judge Carlos Aguilar rejected a motion by the defense lawyer, Francisco Beltranena, requesting that the daily fine be reduced to one Quetzal (13 US cents).

In his verdict, the judge affirmed that the communities have the right to protest against projects that could negatively impact their health and the environment. He also stated that journalists have the right to gather and transmit information, and that no one can limit the right of any reporter, whether of the mainstream media or not, to carry out their work.

You can read more about the ongoing community resistance at “La Puya” on the GHRC website.

Condena por agresiones en contra de comunicadores independientes por parte de trabajadores de Exmigua

El día de ayer 17 de octubre, el Juzgado Segundo de Primera Instancia Penal Narcoactividad y Delitos Contra el Ambiente condenó a dos años de cárcel conmutables por los delitos de coacción y amenazas en contra de periodistas independientes, a Juan José Reyes Carrera y al teniente retirado Pablo Silas Orozco Cifuentes, trabajadores de EXMINGUA–KCA,  empresa que pretende construir la mina El Tambor Progreso VII Derivada, en San José de Golfo.

Las penas:

Por el delito de coacción: 1 año de cárcel, conmutable a Q20.00 diarios

Por el delito de amenazas: 1 año de cárcel, conmutable a Q5.00 diarios.

La solicitud del abogado Francisco Beltranena, de considerar conmutables por Q1.00 diario los delitos fue rechazada por el juez.

Las amenazas en contra de los comunicadores se realizaron el 22 de noviembre de 2012, mientras cubrían un intento de desalojo de la resistencia pacífica en La Puya, San José del Golfo.

El juez a cargo del caso, expresó que la población tiene el derecho a protestar sobre las acciones que considere le pueden afectar a su salud, a su medio ambiente y tienen el derecho también de que los medios informen, trasladen la información sobre sus demandas, por lo que no se puede vedar a ningún medio ya sea corporativo o no, realizar su trabajo.

El próximo 24 de octubre, se dará la lectura de la sentencia y el 29 de octubre se realizará la audiencia para conocer la acción reparadora. En la audiencia estuvo presente el coronel retirado Mario Ricardo Figueroa Archila gerente de Exmingua.

La audiencia fue cubierta por medios de comunicación de radio, prensa y televisión.

Algunas notas en los medios sobre la audiencia:

http://noticias.emisorasunidas.com/noticias/nacionales/condenan-dos-hombres-amenazas-periodistas

tp://www.prensalibre.com/noticias/comunitario/trabajadores_de_mina-amenaza_a_periodistas-sentencia_0_1012698849.html

http://www.lahora.com.gt/index.php/nacional/guatemala/actualidad/185403-condenan-a-extrabajadores-de-minera-por-agresion-

Weekly News Round Up Feb. 23-Mar.5

Constitutional Court upholds case closure for Efraín Bámaca’s disappearance
The Constitutional Court (CC) has confirmed the closure of the criminal case involving the forced disappearance of Efraín Bámaca. In March 2011, Bámaca’s widow, Jennifer Harbury, brought a criminal complaint against then presidential candidate Pérez Molina for his role in her husband’s disappearance and death. Bámaca (alias Comandante Everardo) disappeared in 1992. According to the military, he committed suicide, but Harbury says that he was actually detained, tortured and killed. In December 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Guatemalan government to re-investigate the case of Bámaca’s forced disappearance. Harbury’s lawyer has indicated that he will take action against Pérez Molina for not fulfilling the IACHR’s demands for a re-investigation of the case.

Constitutional Court rejects legal action filed by Toto indigenous leaders
The Constitutional Court (CC) unanimously rejected the legal action filed by the 48 cantones of Totonicapán against the Mining Law. The court’s decision called on Congress to regulate consultation with indigenous communities as established in ILO Convention number 169. The plaintiffs argue that the Mining Law was issued when there was still a right to consultation under the ILO convention and therefore the law is unconstitutional because it does not respect that right. The trial against the soldiers who fired on the group of protesters in Totonicapán last year is still ongoing. One of the defense lawyers for the accused soldiers says that he will ask for an acquittal. He says that his clients were motivated by “an overwhelming fear”, and thus they are innocent.

La licencia de la mina El Tambor debería ser suspendida

Robert H. Robinson visitó el punto de resistencia en La Puya, San José del Golfo; conversó con la población, llegó al lugar en donde la mina pretende instalarse y escuchó de voz de sus protagonistas sobre la historia de resistencia pacífica que desde marzo de 2012, la población de San José del Golfo y San Pedro Ayampuc han mantenido.

Robinson y Steve Laudeman, realizaron un análisis al Estudio de Impacto Ambiental de la Mina Progreso VII Derivada (El Tambor). El pasado miércoles 13 de febrero Robinson hizo una presentación del estudio en San José del Golfo.

Milton hace un recorrido a Robinson para que conozca el lugar en  donde pretende instalarse la minera.

En La Puya, Robinson conoce acerca de la resistencia pacífica, escucha atento sobre las acciones de provocación hechas por supuestos trabajadores de la mina en noviembre y la intimidación y violencia de la que fue objeto la resistencia en diciembre.

Robinson hace la presentación del análisis realizado al Estudio de Impacto Ambiental hecho por la empresa minera, explica sobre las enormes deficiencias que tiene, pero sobre todo de los enormes riesgos de salud a los que la población cercana a la mina estaría expuesta. La recomendación es clara: suspender la licencia a la Mina Progreso VII Derivada.

Al final de la presentación, Kelsey Alford-Jones, Directora de GHRC, hace entrega de una manta elaborada por la delegación de estudiantes de American University, que visitó La Puya en enero pasado: “No están solos, su lucha tiene un impacto mucho más allá de lo local, de lo nacional, alcanza la comunidad internacional, hay mucha gente que está realmente impresionada con todo el esfuerzo y la lucha que ustedes han llevado a cabo”.

Yolanda Oquelí, habla sobre la importancia del estudio presentado por Robert Robinson, que reafirma que su preocupación y lucha son legítimas “el no se imagina lo que ha aportado para nosotros…”, con emoción Yolanda expresa que saber que mucha gente en otros países se siente parte de la lucha no tiene precio y no lo paga ningún dinero del mundo.

Winner of 2012 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award Announced

We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2012 Alice Zachmann Human Rights Defender Award: The communities of San Pedro Ayampuc and San José del Golfo, who are peacefully defending their right to a healthy environment.

“Mining exploitation is contamination. Don’t sell your land. Yes to life!” (photo:mimundo.org)

For the past five months, members of these communities have bravely stood up to powerful, transnational corporations who are attempting to build a mine in their midst without consulting residents or even providing information about the project.

Men, women and children have banded together in the spirit of non-violent civil disobedience to block the road and prevent the equipment from entering and destroying the land that is their home and their livelihoods. They have faced death threats, and a nearly fatal assault on one of their members, Yolanda Oquelí.

Come hear two members of the communities, Alvaro Sandoval Palencia and Antonio Reyes Romero, speak about their inspiring struggle at our 30th Anniversary Celebration on September 27th.

Don’t miss out on this amazing event. Buy your tickets now!

Where it says “Enter a description below of how you would like your donation to be used.” be sure to write that the payment is to purchase tickets to the event.More information about how to buy tickets here or email us at ghrc-usa@ghrc-usa.org.

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.

The Mine Once Again (La Mina Otra Vez)

The communities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc have been in peaceful resistance to a mining project in their communities. Here, the Committee of Campesino Unity (CUC) interviews Yoli Oqueli, who was brutally attacked on June 13. A partial transcript in English is included below.

Partial transcript: 

“San José del Golfo says no to mining and denounces threats and violation of its freedom of movement”

The reason for our protest is that since 2007, the mine we can see here in the background has been in place, and work started in an underground well to take samples in order to see the minerals and the potential that was here. Two months ago we positioned ourselves here to start a peaceful fight – a completely peaceful resistance; we’ve been here now for two months and four days. In that time we’ve received a lot of provocation from the mining company, and unfortunately the majority of people who came with the arrogance to provoke us, and even assaulted women, are retired coronels. They’ve contracted these military personnel to find a way to cause anxiety – people get scared when they hear that they’re from the military. But we believe in peaceful protests and everything we’ve been able to maintain here.

But just today, beginning at 1am, community leaders who live at the entrance to the town began to call us to inform us that many trucks were entering the area. There were people who counted between 28 and 30 trucks that came with material to construct the waste water tank and said that they had to begin right away. There were patrol cars that came as well, excessively – we counted and think that there were between 45 and 50 patrol cars. When my mom called me she told me that her house was completely surrounded by police, because one of the people who works with the mine is her neighbor and she indicated to the police that that was my parents’ house. We came to the house quickly – they made note of what our cars looked like too – and when we got there it was difficult for us to get permission to enter, to be able to drop off my children and to continue on by foot.
But the surprising thing is that there were also two vans of riot police, so they didn’t want to even let us pass on foot. They said to let the patrol cars cross and closed all the roads that have access to here, to where we’re protesting. We believe that what they’re looking for, in some way, is for there to be a confrontation here so that a state of siege can be established. We’ve come to understand that even though we’re acting within the law, the law does not favor us. But I think that in some way we will be able to maintain this peaceful situation, we pray to God, and we’re demanding that there be a community consultation, because a consultation never happened here.

4:30 And we asked them why, if we have freedom of movement, they were blocking the way – if there was a court order or something that said that we couldn’t enter. And they didn’t show us anything, they didn’t say anything, just that it was an order from the Interior Ministry.

5:25 “The Deputy Mayor of San Pedro Ayampuc clarifies that no municipal agreement exists that supports mining exploitation in the community.”

6:15 The company is called Exmingua and it is Project 7. Selvin Morales is the general manager of the company, and before, when they applied for a mining license, he was the director of mining.

“The communities of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc demand an end to work at the Proyecto 7 mine directed by the company Exmingua.”

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