September marks the month when Guatemala celebrates its independence—but for many communities, the promise of freedom remains unfulfilled. Indigenous People, environmental defenders, and social movements continue facing systemic racism, inequality, and criminalization. Across the country, communities keep resisting, creating, and organizing, showing that real freedom comes not from national holidays, but from the ongoing struggle for justice, dignity, and collective rights.
In this edition, we share stories of that resistance in action—from grassroots movements defending land and water, to families sustaining memory, to teachers and students building intergenerational resilience—highlighting the courage, creativity, and solidarity that keep shaping a better future.
🌎 Next month, NISGUA will be in North Carolina with CODIDENA, a Xinka-led organization defending land, water, and territory from corporate destruction. Their tour will share stories of grassroots resistance that resonate in both Guatemala and the U.S. Stay tuned for event details—we hope you can join us and spread the word!
🎨 The Military Diary Case continues as defense attorneys seek to keep accused ex-officers out of detention. Families and survivors stand firm, demanding justice and sustaining memory through FAMDEGUA’s art and community initiatives, showing that truth lives on both in the courts and in collective resistance.
🌱 The second part of the interview with teachers from Nuevo Amanecer Elementary School in Copal AA La Esperanza explores the challenges of climate change, the importance of internationalist solidarity, and the intergenerational work that keeps communities standing—continuing the story of the Madre Tierra Festival, where art, education, and resistance intertwine in defense of life, water, and territory.
⚖️ In Guatemala, Indigenous leaders face criminalization for defending democracy and Indigenous governance. Leaders like Luis Pacheco, Héctor Chaclán, and Esteban Toc are charged with terrorism for participating in peaceful protests, a tactic that threatens all social movements. Today it is Indigenous leaders on trial—tomorrow it could be anyone standing up for justice. This shows how entrenched powers-that-be are using the courts to intimidate and silence those who resist.
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