Solidarity

On October 29, Governor Cristina Bautista Taquinas, the leader of the semi-autonomous Indigenous reservation of Nasa Tacueyó, and four unarmed Indigenous Guards – Asdrubal Cayapu, Heliodoro Finscue, José Gerardo Soto and James Wilfredo Soto – were killed in an attack by illegal armed groups.

Five other members of the Indigenous Nasa community were injured in the attack, which took place in the village of La Luz in the Tacueyó reservation in the department of Cauca.

On November 30, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Projected posted, “The day before yesterday we accompanied CCDA Verapaz to visit the communities of Xyaal Kobee and Xa Jobche in the municipality of Cobán.”

PBI-Guatemala began accompanying the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA), a campesino organization that accompanies and advises mostly Indigenous communities on land rights issues, in July 2018.

About 40 percent of the population of Guatemala is indigenous.

The Peace Brigades International-Honduras Project has posted, “On November 17, PBI-Honduras observed a self-consultation of the municipality of Namasigüe, Choluteca, which was carried out with the technical support of our accompanied organization, CEHPRODEC.”

PBI-Honduras adds, “According to the final vote count, 97% of the residents rejected the installation of mining projects and photovoltaic plants.”

The mining projects appear to involve Montreal-based Glen Eagle Resources Inc. and its Honduran subsidiary Cobra Oro.

On November 27, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project posted on its Facebook page, “Today we accompanied the BDH [the Human Rights Law Firm] in the first declaration hearing of General Mendoza García in the accusation of genocide and duties against humanity against the Ixil people.”

PBI-Guatemala adds, “The defendant participated via video-conference from the Mariscal Zavala prison. Today the MP [Public Ministry] accused the crimes, and tomorrow the statement of Mendoza Garcia is expected.”

Steve Law and Evelyn Jones from Kennetcook, Nova Scotia were Peace Brigades International volunteers in Colombia in 1998-99.

On March 26, 1999, the head of the largest paramilitary organization in Colombia issued a death threat against international workers who were providing human rights protection and humanitarian aid to communities displaced by the civil war.

Steve says, “That was the most blatant demonstration by the paramilitary that they didn’t want us there. Things became very, very difficult for everyone living in this area, and for us.”

On November 26, Peace Brigades International tweeted, “Don’t miss our event this afternoon at the #UNForumBHR at 3 pm, where the 2019 Human Rights & Business Award for outstanding work addressing the #HumanRights impacts of business will be awarded!”

Despite being one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources, Honduras has high levels of inequality in land ownership and there has been a considerable increase in extractive projects in the country. The exploitation of natural resources and the concentration of land in the hands of few have forced communities to defend their territories.

October 2 marks the International Day of Non-Violence and the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. The UN General Assembly began commemorating this day in 2007 to raise awareness and educate the public on the principle of non-violence. The goal of the resolution is to ensure a “culture of peace, tolerance, understanding, and non-violence.”

Today, September 20, 2019, the environment takes center stage as people across the world join in a Global Climate Strike, urging governments and the private sector to take concrete action in order to avoid further deterioration of our climate and the manifold human rights impacts that this would imply.

“The role of PBI accompaniment has been very important in various regions where we conduct field work. This support has allowed resistance and the defense of the rights of the peasant, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities that we accompany.  The accompaniment is essential because international presence becomes a deterrent and this has meant lives are saved.”

 - Father Alberto Franco, Inter-faith Justice and Peace Commission