Latin America Bureau, Rights Action and Guatemala Solidarity Network present:

SIPAKAPA IS NOT FOR SALE / SIPAKAPA NO SE VENDE"
by Caracol Producciones, Guatemala, November 2005

Date: Tuesday 18th July
Time: 6.30pm
Price: £3

The film will be followed by talks and the opportunity to discuss the impact of mining companies in Guatemala.

Speakers: Jane Pelly, Rights Action
Dr. Rachel Sieder, Institute for the Study of the Americas

Spaces are limited for this event. To pre-register for this event please email: dkenner [at] lab.org.uk

Venue:  The Library - Latin America Bureau, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL

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This documentary analyses the debate on mining exploitation in Guatemala and demonstrates the dignity of the Sipakapan People as they fight to defend their autonomy in the face of encroaching neo-liberal "development" megaprojects.

This 55 minute documentary (with English sub-titles) is about the struggle of the Sipakapense-Mayan people, in San Marcos, Guatemala, in defense of autonomy, locally controlled development and environmental well-being, against the harms and violations associated with the open-pit gold mining operation of the Glamis Gold mining company.

In 2005, Montana Exploradora, subsidiary of the Canadian/US transnational company Glamis Gold, received 45 million US dollars in financing from the World Bank to exploit an open-pit gold mine in Guatemala. There was never any consultation with the local Mayan Sipakapense and Mam communities about the 'concessioning' of their lands and territories to a global mining company that, furthermore, is using the most harmful method of gold mining – open pit, cyanide leaching processes.

In accordance with ILO Convention 169, the Constitution of Guatemala and the Municipal Code, a Community Consultation was held in Sipakapa on 18 June 2005, to establish whether the population would accept or reject mining exploitation in its municipality. The result was a resounding NO to mining.

"Sipakapa is Not for Sale" contrasts the daily life and struggle of the Maya Sipakapan people with the arguments of representatives of the mining company that operates in their territory. It analyses the debate on mining exploitation and demonstrates the dignity of the Sipakapan People as they fight to defend their autonomy in the face of encroaching neo-liberal "development" megaprojects.

Whilst we've been talking about apologists for military violence recently on this blog, the following clip is a timely reminder of what Guatemala has gone through- and the role external government's have played in it. This example is (part of) a documentary on the CIA 's involvement in Guatemala.

It's in Spanish, and it's worth pointing out that the images are pretty explicit. This clip was posted in You Tube by Joaquinsan.

Phillip Agee, a former CIA operative who left the agency in 1967 after becoming disillusioned by the CIA’s support for the status quo in the region is actually featured in this clip. He has just done an interview with Red Pepper about CIA intervention in Latin America at the moment, in particular Venezuela.