Land defenders Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez absolved of all charges but remain in prison
On October 28, 2015, a Quetzaltenango Femicide Tribunal unanimously voted to absolve political prisoners Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez of the crimes of femicide and homicide. The Tribunal rejected every single witness presented by the prosecution and questioned the political motives behind the Public Prosecutor's decision to begin investigation of a crime three years after it took place. Saúl [...]
B.C. Supreme Court Stays Lawsuit against Tahoe Resources, Denies Justice in Canada for Guatemalan Victims
Source: Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network - MiningWatch Canada - Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (Ottawa/Oakland/Tatamagouche) Canadian and US organizations are calling a British Columbia judge’s refusal to hear a lawsuit against Tahoe Resources over violence at its Guatemala mine site wilfully blind to the gravity of the case and the obstacles faced by the victims in [...]
“Tahoe On Trial” speaking tour strengthens solidarity between communities standing up against Tahoe Resources
NISGUA's 2015 speaking tour "Tahoe On Trial: Guatemalan Communities Rise up to Defend Land and Life" set out to raise awareness about Tahoe Resources, a joint US-Canadian silver mining company, and its contribution to human rights violations around its Escobal silver project in southeastern Guatemala. We were joined by the Diocesan Committee in Defense of Nature (CODIDENA), a faith-based grassroots [...]
Shooting attack in Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, against opponents of Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) – Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) – MiningWatch Canada – Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) – Projet Accompagnement Québec Guatemala (PAQG) (Guatemala/Ottawa/Washington/Tatamagouche) Fifty-five international organizations are calling for an investigation into the second armed attack in as many years against a well-known activist who is part of the peaceful [...]
Take Action: Anti-mining activist shot for the second time
On Saturday, October 17, armed assailants shot at six people in Mataquescuintla, Jalapa, Guatemala, where communities have organized in peaceful resistance to Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine project. Among those injured was Alex Reynoso, an environmental defender and member of the Mataquescuintla mining resistance movement in southeastern Guatemala. Alex remains in stable condition, recuperating from a bullet shot into his [...]
Expression of solidarity with the Duwamish Tribe in their struggle for tribal recognition
When Víctor Caal Tzuy from ACODET came to the U.S. last year on NISGUA's "Rivers for Life" tour, he met with Ken Workman, Duwamish Tribal Council Member and direct descendent of Chief Si'ahl. Both men shared common experiences as indigenous people, fighting for their communities and the health of their rivers in the face of displacement. While Víctor described the devastating [...]