Carlos Chen Osorio looks out over the Chixoy River Photo Credit: WOLA
Following our theme of recent posts on this blog, the democratic right to peaceful protest is being undermined in Guatemala. Amnesty International have just put out the following press release: 'Guatemala: Politically motivated charges get in the way of justice for massacre survivors'. This refers to the peaceful occupation of the Chixoy dam by protestors (7-8-09-04) representing the Maya Achi communities that suffered due the building of the dam.
"In Guatemala, human rights violations appear to be addressed by pressing criminal charges against the victims, said Amnesty International as charges are due to be formally presented against nine activists and community leaders from Río Negro.
The charges, presented by the State Electricity Institute (INDE), include “activity against the internal security of the nation” and come after leaders from 18 communities participated in peaceful protests in September 2004.
“The charges against the activists are disproportionate, unfounded and clearly politically motivated. They send a strong message that mobilising against the government's agenda will not be tolerated,” said Sebastian Elgueta, Amnesty International’s researcher on Guatemala.
“If the activists are detained and prosecuted, Amnesty International would consider them political prisoners,” said Sebastian Elgueta.
Amnesty International is calling for the charges to be dropped.
The protests were related to the loss of lives, homes and land incurred during the construction of the Chixoy dam in the 1980s, as well as the current lack of free running water and electricity in many communities, which they were promised. Protesters also complained about the impunity surrounding a series of massacres that took place in the area between 1980 and 1982 where thousands of people were killed.
The peaceful character of the protests was confirmed by a police report.
The communities agreed to withdraw from the demonstrations after the State Electricity (INDE) Institute agreed to initiate a negotiation process. Days later, the INDE presented criminal charges against the community leaders."
You can read the whole press release with background information here.
Background
The Guatemalan press have been highly negative against the protestors and incredibly unsympathetic to the campesinos' calls for compensation after losing their land, homes and loved ones in the massacres that occured prior to the construction of the Chixoy dam. In September 2004, el Periodico wrote an article after the protest occupying the dam accusing the protestors of acting on behalf of a political party (URNG) and of one the community leaders having criminal convictions. In July 2005, el Periodico was forced to offer a fullsome apology.
In August 2005 the Guatemalan Human Rights Ombudsman's (PDH) drafted a declaration signed by representatives of the communities affected by Chixoy; Carlos Chen Osorio, Félix Alfonso Raymundo, Juan de Dios García, Santiago Hernández, Julio Santiago, Víctor Lem Xitumul, Antonio Vásquez Xitumul and Domingo Sic Rafael in an attempt to negotiate an agreement with the dam's managers from INDE. Ironically INDE used this document as the basis of its case against these individuals who have now been charged with 'endangering the security of the nation'.
The issues on which the community of Rio Negro are campaigning have been brought together in a study by the Dr. Barbara Rose Johnston and the Centre for Political Ecology. You can read this authoritative study online that has helped bring the issue back on to the agenda in July 2005 and renewed the hope of compensation for the victims. You can also hear interviews with Carlos Chen Osorio from Nizkor (in Spanish).
The Chixoy Dam was constructed between 1975 and 1983 with financing from the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. The project displaced some 3,445 Mayan people and negatively affected another 6,000 households in surrounding communities.
