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Two people carry a banner in the streets of Guatemala City that reads, "The march for life: We demand that the Constitutional Court respect our rights." Photo credit: CPR-Urbana. Used with permission.
When Pan American Silver bought the Escobal mine, it bought a legacy of violence
Valerie Croft | The Xinka Parliament calls on Pan American Silver to cease all interference in the consultation process that will determine the future of the Escobal mine in Guatemala.
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Twitter photo by Yo soy Abelino.
Indigenous land defender freed by court after two years in prison
Brent Patterson | Abelino Chub Caal was imprisoned for defending Indigenous rights and Maya Q'eqchi' land in Guatemala from the expansion of a palm oil farm.
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Photo by Peace Brigades International.
Land and water defenders resist mining in eastern Guatemala
Brent Patterson | For more than 40 days, Indigenous Maya Ch'orti' peoples have maintained a permanent encampment at a mine that is polluting their drinking water.
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Photo: Peace Brigades International.
The Peaceful Resistance of La Puya fights for the right to water
Brent Patterson | Guatemalans wanting to protect their drinking water from a mine linked to a Vancouver-based company have waged a peaceful struggle at the mine site, in courtrooms and now at the World Bank.
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Photo: Larry Wright/Twitter
Arms industry a significant force in the suppression of Indigenous peoples
Brent Patterson | From the Gatling gun to armoured vehicles and assault rifles, arms manufacturers have profited from the production of weapons used against Indigenous peoples.
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Photo by Peace Brigades International.
Justice sought for state crime against teenage girls at group home in Guatemala
Brent Patterson | The Trudeau government is being called on to take action after a March 2017 fire swept through a locked classroom at the state-run group home on the outskirts of Guatemala City.
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Ombudsperson could be a new tool for activists to help advance mining justice
Brent Patterson | The Trudeau government has yet to deliver on its January 2018 announcement to establish a Canadian Ombudsperson for the Responsible Enterprise, but news could be coming soon.
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Twitter photo by @SHEOrganisation.
Indigenous rights defenders in Guatemala challenge logging, Canadian mining on their territory
Brent Patterson | The K'iche' People's Council in Guatemala face criminalization and attacks for their defence against logging and Canadian mining companies.
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Human rights defenders are fighting for climate justice
Brent Patterson | Human rights defenders are critical in the struggle to stop climate breakdown, but increasingly they are paying with their lives in this fight.
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Peaceful Resistance of La Laguna challenges deforestation in Guatemala
Brent Patterson | Forest defenders face risks as deforestation driven by agri-business, logging and drug trafficking worsens climate breakdown and intensifies harm to Indigenous cultures.
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Guatemalan community feminists seek end to violence against the land and women
Brent Patterson | TZK'AT links extractivism, dispossession, and the criminalization of land defenders to patriarchy, violence against Indigenous women and emphasizes the need for spiritual recovery.
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Guatemalans protest against expulsion of United Nations anti-corruption commission
Brent Patterson | Guatemalan president's actions raise concerns about a slow-motion coup, human rights violations, more forced migration, impunity for war crimes, and electoral fraud.