Unofficial translation by the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). You can find the original statement in Spanish further below. PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLES OF HUEHUETENANGO IN DEFENSE OF THE TERRITORY AND FOR THE AUTONOMY AND SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE PEOPLES — ADH [...]
Unofficial translation by the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). You can find the original statement in Spanish further below. PRESS RELEASE Before national and international public opinion, we make known: This 12th and 20th of October, the DEPARTMENTAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLE OF HUEHUETENANGO IN [...]
Unofficial translation by the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). You can find the original statement in Spanish further below. THE DEPARTMENTAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLES OF HUEHUETENANGO IN DEFENSE OF THE TERRITORY AND FOR THE AUTONOMY AND SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE PEOPLES – ADH – sends [...]
Unofficial translation by the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA). You can find the original statement in Spanish further below. ADH MARCHES ON: 19 years of struggle to defend our territory This July 25, 2025, the PEOPLES' ASSEMBLY OF HUEHUETENANGO FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR TERRITORY AND FOR [...]
Integrantes de la Asamblea Departamental de los Pueblos de Huehuetenango (ADH) asistieron a un intercambio de defensores de la tierra de El Salvador, Honduras y Guatemala. Lea el comunicado que compartieron exigiendo la protección del agua, la tierra y las comunidades, además de una reflexión de une Internacionalista de [...]
Includes: The Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) denounces the dismissal of the tribunal in the Maya Ixil genocide case against Manuel Benedicto Lucas García. They point to this derailment of the case as blatant impunity and will continue to fight for justice. Organizers from the Departmental Assembly of [...]
Organizers from the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) attended a gathering of land defenders from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Read their shared statement demanding protection of water, land, and communities, as well as a reflection from a NISGUA Internacionalista: Watching the U.S. election results come [...]
On July 26, 2024, over a hundred people joined the Departmental Assembly of the People of Huehuetenango in Defense of Territory and for the Autonomy and Free Determination of the People -ADH- in celebrating their anniversary in Aguacatán, Huehuetenango, the latest municipality to win a water protection agreement in [...]
Political statement on the occasion of World Mother Earth Day Tq’ijlal Qtxu’ Tx’otx’. The Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango -ADH in defense of the land, autonomy, and free determination of the people -ADH On April 22, 1970, the U.N. declared World Earth Day, and approximately 20 million people [...]
Photo by NISGUA It can be difficult for people outside of NISGUA to understand the struggles we support here on the ground in Guatemala. If you ask me, this is in large part because of the amount of story required. Because what is truly needed is [...]
ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLES OF HUEHUETENANGO IN DEFENSE OF THE TERRITORY, FOR THE AUTONOMY AND FREE DETERMINATION OF THE PEOPLES -ADH- STATEMENT The Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango -ADH, hereby declares its rejection of initiative 6054; which puts at risk even more the fragile state institutions that protect [...]
Ante la opinión pública exponemos: 1) Como asamblea departamental de pueblos, manifestamos nuestro respaldo político al pueblo mam del territorio de Chimb’al organizado por la defensa de bienes naturales y el territorio. 2) Estamos conscientes del peligro que sufre nuestra Madre Agua, por la voracidad del modelo neoliberal extractivo [...]
In the presence of the public opinion, we expose: 1) As a departmental assembly of the peoples, we express our political support for the Mam people of the Chimb'al territory organized to defend natural resources and the territory. 2) We are aware of the danger that our Mother Water [...]
As the original people of the territory K’AIB’IL B’ALAM, we reject and condemn the unacceptable attitude of the attorney María Consuelo Porras, representative of the Attorney General’s Office (MP) for abusively ordering the dismissal of the head of the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI). Juan Francisco Sandoval is a [...]
De manera urgente, La Asamblea Departamental de los Pueblos de Huehuetenango ADH, nos hemos declarado en sesión permanente; analizando la situación preocupante de la Comunidad de Triunfo de Champerico Retalhuleu. En este momento la comunidad está bajo atropellos, amenazas de Energuate y luego coordinado con las fuerzas represivas del [...]
[Español abajo] On July 30, 38 national and international organizations asked the World Bank Group to take decisive measures to reverse its contribution to fostering conditions that threaten the institutional order in Guatemala. Meeting in Barillas to receive human rights defender and journalist Palas Luin, on January 2020 [...]
Read this statement that our partners from the Departmental Assembly of Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) have written demanding "the world bank to stop investing money in projects that only destroy humanity and our Cosmos." The Departmental Assembly of Peoples of Huehuetenango, ADH, informs the national [...]
Para leer en Español Read this statement that our comrades from the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) wrote "in the face of the serious crisis generated by the measures taken by the Guatemalan government in relation to containing the COVID-19 pandemic." [...]
Dams already under construction in Ixquisis are visible from the river bank despite the communities' ongoing resistance against the imposition of mega-projects in their territories. Note of clarification: We reject all attempts to link us to supposed criminal acts On February 29, 2020, certain corporate communications media, [...]
Julio Gómez Lucas speaks before a crowd of thousands of people in San Mateo Ixtatán, Huehuetenango. Photo credit: Nelton Rivera, Prensa Comunitaria Km. 169 January 28, 2020 María Consuelo Porras Attorney General of the Republic of Guatemala Édgar Godoy Samayoa Department of the Interior Nester Mauricio [...]
In the face of the ongoing threat by mega-development projects and extractive industries to indigenous and campesino peoples' natural resources, and in particular to their water sources, the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) held a day-long meeting to discuss strategies for their protection. The ADH, a [...]
Photo Credit: Francisco Simón Original article posted in Spanish on Prensa Comunitaria. Translation by NISGUA. By: Francisco Simón. January 6, 2018, San Mateo Ixtatán The communal authorities of Yulch'en Frontera paid tribute to the martyr and defender of rivers Don Sebastián Alonzo Juan, who was murdered on [...]
Over the last several decades, transnational resource extraction companies have flocked to Central America. Licenses to construct hydroelectric dams, exploit minerals, or build the necessary infrastructure to make these types of projects possible are being granted by national governments in the region at an alarming rate. With little transparency, [...]
On January 17, 2017, community members from the Ixquisis region, located in northern Huehuetenango, held a demonstration against the construction of three hydroelectric projects by the company Promoción y Desarrollos Hídricos, Sociedad Anónima (PDH, SA). That afternoon, representatives of the National Civil Police, PDH S.A.'s private security, and forest rangers, all armed, [...]
On July 30, 2016, seven ancestral and community authorities from northern Huehuetenango began their journey back home after being held as political prisoners. All of the men were held for over a year – one for over three – on charges related to community protests opposing hydroelectric dams imposed [...]
The following is a statement made by the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) on the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. For the original statement by the ADH, click here. Translation by NISGUA. The Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) August 12, 2016 To mark the [...]
Today marks the opening of the trial against seven land defenders from northern Huehuetenango, all of whom have been held in pretrial detention as political prisoners for over a year. All seven are being accused of crimes that allegedly took place during community protests against the imposition of hydroelectric [...]
One year ago today, Ermitaño López – “Don Taño” – was arrested in Guatemala City’s courthouse as he was attending a pre-trial declaration hearing in support of other land defenders from Barillas. Don Taño is a teacher and community organizer from Barillas, northern Huehuetenango, where communities are facing the [...]
The following is a press release issued by the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH), together with other organizations who accompanied the "Caravan for dignity, resistance, and freedom for political prisoners from northern Huehuetenango." NISGUA joined the Caravan as international observers, documenting testimony of communities in the [...]
The following is a press release published by the Departmental Assembly of the People of Huehuetenango (ADH) in response to the events surrounding the recent Caravan for Dignity, Community Resistance and the Freedom of Political Prisoners from Huehuetenango. The Caravan was organized by an alliance of Guatemalan organizations in solidarity [...]
This article was written by Gustavo Illescas and originally posted in Spanish on CMI-Guatemala. Translation by NISGUA. Under the motto “We are all northern Huehuetenango,” the Departmental Assembly of the Peoples of Huehuetenango (ADH) joined civil society organizations and community authorities on a caravan that left the municipality of Huehuetenango [...]
Original article posted in Spanish on Prensa Comunitaria with information provided from his family. Translation by NISGUA. Rigoberto Juárez is a representative of the Plurinational Government of the Q’anjob’al, Chuj, Akateka, Popti and Mestiza nations, a governing body present in 16 municipalities in Huehuetenango. He has been criminalized by the [...]
Original article written in Spanish by Nelton Rivera for Prensa Comunitaria. Read the original article here. Translation by NISGUA. By Nelton Rivera “We will continue to defend life. We will give our lives if necessary, but we won’t do it kneeling down… Where does water – life – come from? [...]
On January 22, 2016, after spending more than two years in prison, wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, land defenders Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez were finally able to return to their homes in Santa Cruz Barillas. They arrived to a warm welcome from thousands of community members [...]
We celebrate the release yesterday of Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez, two community leaders wrongly convicted of homicide in a 2014 trial plagued with irregularities. Saúl and Rogelio were sentenced to 33 years in prison, despite major holes in the prosecution's evidence linking them to the murder. After winning a [...]
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 [...]
On September 1, Barillas land defenders Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez will stand trial again for accessory to murder. Citing serious irregularities and major errors in the initial trial earlier this year that condemned both men to 33 years and 4 months in prison, a Special Appeals court ruled [...]
Original article posted on CMI-Guatemala in Spanish on August 11, 2015. Written by Alba Cecilia Mérida Translation by NISGUA On August 8, beneath the energy and protection of Kawok - symbolizing the strength of unity and wisdom - hundreds of women, men, boys, girls, youth, and the elderly gathered [...]
"This is all of our struggle. Who doesn't breathe this air? Who doesn't drink this water? Who doesn't feel the rays of the shining sun on their face? Standing up for life - this is my husband's crime. How many of our brothers and sisters have given their lives [...]
UPDATE: On May 15 a court in Huehuetenango unanimously resolved not to ratify the 33-years and 4-month sentence against Saúl Méndez and Rogelio Velásquez. The decision is the result of a special appealed filed on behalf of the community leaders from Santa Cruz Barillas. Their case will be re-tried [...]