In this month of October, Maya Peoples celebrate Waqxaqib’ B’atz’, the New Year of the sacred Chol Q’ij calendar — a time to renew our collective commitment to life, community, and dignity. Each new cycle invites us to reflect on what has been learned, honor those who came before us, and strengthen the threads that connect our struggles.
As the new year begins, this spirit of renewal and solidarity guides everything we share in this Solidarity Update:
🌎 This month, NISGUA, together with Iximché Media and Witness for Peace Southeast, organized a North Carolina speaking tour featuring a Xinka defender from CODIDENA. Through public events and classroom dialogues, she shared how the Xinka continue to protect their land and water from the Escobal mine, inspiring solidarity and action across communities.
🗓️ The NISGUA 2026 Calendar is here! This edition celebrates the harvests of organizing and resistance, with images honoring the communities who protect the land, sustain life, and defend dignity. ✨ Order yours today and help share stories of solidarity and hope throughout 2026.
⚖️ The Prosecutor’s Office seeks to close the Military Diary Case, perpetuating impunity, but families continue to fight, demanding justice, truth, and memory. They are calling on the national and international community to reject impunity and support the process.
🔥 This October marks two years since the Indigenous Peoples of Guatemala led the 2023 Indigenous National Strike, a historic mobilization defending democracy, dignity, and their collective rights. Two years later, the memory of that movement and the strength of their ancestral struggles remain vital, as several Indigenous Authorities and leaders face criminalization for their participation in these actions.
We thank everyone who reads and walks alongside NISGUA, supporting struggles for justice and dignity in Guatemala and showing solidarity beyond borders. Every act of support, every shared word, strengthens these collective efforts and reminds us that we are not alone in the pursuit of a more just world.
