Land Violence

Violence surrounding land issues has a become a source of great concern in recent weeks. Human rights violations committed against individuals and campesino organizations have been on the rise, along with protests against government authorities. Below is an article outlining CONIC's recent action against the government, along with articles on violence and an eviction that have occurred in the last two weeks.

CONIC Announces End to Negotiations, Calls for National Action

April 6, 2006

Campesinos and teachers announce protests to force the government to attend to their demands; CONIC says government’s response is an insult.

Calling for national actions, the National Indigenous and Campesino Coordinating Committee (CONIC) announced that the door had been closed for further negotiations with the government of President Oscar Berger.

In a press conference the general coordinator of CONIC, Pedro Esquina, said that the government’s response to their demands was an insult to the Maya and popular movement. He added that it doesn’t make sense to continue negotiations under these conditions with a racist and exclusive government. On April 5, after a protest blocking the entrance to the capital, CONIC, together with representatives of the National Teachers Assembly (ANM), held the press conference to explain their position with respect to the government’s response to the list of demands they had presented the previous week. CONIC leaders characterized the government’s response as a publicity stunt.

Juan Tiney and Rodolfo Pocop, also leaders of CONIC, joined Esquina at the press conference. Tiney told the press that the uprising would start immediately. He said that they are not talking about just one day of actions, but rather a movement based on legitimate resistance to the government. The actions announced by CONIC include land occupations, roadblocks, and protests following Easter. Mentioning Ecuador and Bolivia as examples of what can be achieved, Tiney said that the government has forced them to choose the path of popular struggle.

The leaders also urged Rosalina Tuyuc, Rigoberta Menchú, and all the Mayans who work for the current government to resign and take up the struggle of the Mayan community, or be considered traitors.

Resolutions to the numerous land conflicts in Guatemala, as well as respect for the autonomy of indigenous communities, represented a key part of CONIC’s demands. The government suggested referring these demands to the Land Fund (FONTIERRAS), which CONIC leaders did not consider an effective response. CONIC has urged the government to act to resolve over 100 land conflicts throughout the country, cancel debts accrued during the transfer of certain fincas, suspend mining licenses, and adopt legislation addressing nationality and indigenous peoples.

A CONIC communiqué highlighted a number of situations, including the recent conflicts in Petén, including the recent harassment, intimidation, and threats of eviction endured by thirty-seven communities in Laguna del Tigre. CONIC denounced the government for engaging in negotiations to sell this land to transnational mining companies, even though some of the families have been living on the land for more than thirty years. CONIC has also urged the government to respect the decisions of communities in San Marcos regarding mining activity.

The organization has also drawn attention to San Antonio Las Pilas finca, in Tecún Umán, San Marcos, where fifty families have occupied part of the farm since February 10. According to CONIC, the families have been subjected to threats, intimidation, arbitrary detention, and threats of eviction on the part of the landowners. CONIC called on CONTIERRA and the Human Rights Procurator’s Office (PDH) to intervene to prevent further intimidation, investigate the situation, and help negotiate a solution.

CONIC also mentioned that the forty families occupying an uncultivated piece of land called Agua Escondida in Huehuetenango have repeatedly been harassed by members of a neighboring community. The harassment has continued in spite of an agreement signed in November 2005. CONIC urged the Land Fund to speed up investigations in this particular case and urged the PDH in the Ixcán to intervene.

Julio Solano, of the ANM, stated that the teachers support CONIC’s demands and are prepared to participate in the movement, which Solano characterized as building momentum. The ANM will also hold consultations with their base in various departments, in order to determine their official position. Among other requests, the ANM is currently demanding an end to the process of terminating Joviel Acevedo and the inclusion of PDH representatives in all negotiations.

Government Discourages Illegal Measures

President Oscar Berger and Vice President Eduardo Stein agreed that negotiations should continue, in order to find a workable solution to the demands of the campesinos. The president also warned that road blocks would not be accepted. When asked about CONIC’s plans, he invited them to renewed negotiations, adding that the government is open to dialogue, but not road blocks. He said the government would combat all illegal actions.

Stein stated that they have made progress and that they have reached agreements related to some of the organizations’ petitions. These advances were outlined in the document presented to CONIC leaders on April 4. He added that the end of the armed conflict nine years ago changed the nature of conflicts in Guatemala and there are now democratic avenues to resolve problems.

Sources:
Prensa Libre, “Amenazan con rebelión popular,” April 6, 2006.

CONIC Leader and Wife Murdered

At 7:00pm on April 5, Antonio Ixbalán Cali and his wife, María Petzley Coo, were attacked in Valparaíso, Chicacao, Suchitepéquez. Four armed men wearing black shot at the couple in their home, instantaneously killing María Petzey and gravely wounding her husband, Antonio Ixbalán, who died hours later in a hospital in Mazatenango. Antonio Ixbalán was the president of the Association of Farmers in Santiago Atitlán, a member of the National Indigenous and Campesino Coordinating Committee (CONIC). The couple was originally from Santiago Atitlán, Sololá. Along with 44 other families, their struggle for land was rewarded on February 8, 2002, when they received land on the Valparaíso finca in Chicacao, Suchitepéquez. They were still struggling for the cancellation of a debt of 2,180,000 quetzales (approximately $287,000).

CONIC considers the murders of these two Tz’utujil leaders a direct attack on the organization itself. The attacks occurred just nine hours after CONIC and other organizations broke negotiations with the government and called for national actions calling for agrarian reform. CONIC demands that the Oscar Berger administration quickly and thoroughly investigate this act and bring the intellectual and material authors to justice.

Army Violently Evicts Campesinos in Petén

According to information received from the Agrarian Platform, on the morning of March 29, some 310 members of the Worker and Campesino Labor Federation (FESOC) in the community of La Bendición, Flores, Petén, were violently evicted by army troops from land they were occupying. The army reportedly entered the area with tanks and helicopters, then burned homes and injured campesinos during the eviction.

Since last year the campesinos had been waiting for the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) to comply with its commitment to relocate them on other suitable land. The land where the campesinos were living had been reclaimed by CONAP as a protected area. Although FESOC had presented the case to the Presidential Commission to Resolve Land Conflicts (CONTIERRA) so that a solution favoring the campesino families could be reached, CONTIERRA was apparently unable to stop the eviction.

The Agrarian Platform, of which FESOC is a member, expressed support for the campesino group and is demanding that the government attend to the families who were evicted and to the persons who suffered injuries during the eviction by the army, in which the campesinos’ belongings were also destroyed. The Agrarian Platform asserted that this recent eviction reveals the current administration’s incapacity to resolve agrarian conflicts in the country and confirms the government’s lack of political will in attending to the demands of campesino groups.

Tensions Rise on Finca in Alta Verapaz

Residents of the Tampama property of La Mocca finca (farm) in Senahú, Alta Verapaz, filed an official complaint before the Presidential Commission Against Discrimination and Racism. The head of the Presidential Commission Against Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA), Blanca Estela Alvarado, said in a press conference that the situation there is very tense. Community representatives say that landowner Roberto Hempstead and his private security forces continue to pressure the former finca workers now occupying the property.

In 2002 the majority of the workers were dismissed from work on the coffee plantations. The families, some of which had lived and worked on the finca for most of their lives, have since been involved in a labor dispute with the landowner. He reportedly asked the workers to sign a labor settlement agreeing to receive land in lieu of compensation, yet the landowner has failed to specify the size or location of the plots. On February 1, police, soldiers, and private security agents showed up to evict the campesinos. Their homes and belongings were reportedly burned after they fled the area. The following day, the families returned. A few days later, the landowner’s private security guards reportedly shot at and wounded community members who were trying to collect water.

Tensions have continued to escalate since that time. According to leaders Mateo Yat and Emiliano Xe, the community’s water sources have recently been contaminated and 125 people have become ill. The affected families live in terrible conditions and the local health center will not attend to them, per orders of the landowner. One local leader, Alejandro Icol, recently committed suicide, reportedly due to the community’s situation.

On April 6, Amnesty International received a report that the authorities were planning a forced eviction for later that day. Amnesty expressed concern for the safety of the community members and stated that the police have not received proper training on international standards for carrying out forced evictions.

Government Urged to Halt Evictions

Amnesty International (AI) urged the Guatemalan government to halt evictions in rural communities and revise its legislation and current practices. The recently released AI report, “Guatemala Land of Injustice?” examines the human rights violations committed in the context of land conflicts. Among other issues, the report looks at the impact of forced and violent evictions and the discrimination suffered by rural workers and indigenous peoples. The report also includes sixty recommendations, many of which do not require large investments, but do require the will to resolve the problem. Javier Zúñiga, AI’s Program Director of the Americas, said that President Berger has not yet shown interest in meeting with AI or receiving an international delegation to discuss the conflicts and their possible solutions, in spite of the increasing tensions and social pressure in rural areas.

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	Violence surrounding land issues has a become a source of great concern in recent weeks. Human rights violations committed against individuals and campesino organizations have been on the rise, along with protests against government authorities. Below is an article outlining CONIC's recent action against the government, along with articles on violence and an eviction that have occurred in the last two weeks. CONIC Announces End to Negotiations, Calls for National Action April 6, 2006 Campesinos and teachers announce protests to force the government to attend to their demands; CONIC says government’s response is an insult. Calling for national actions, the National Indigenous and Campesino Coordinating Committee (CONIC) announced that the door had been closed for further negotiations with the government of President Oscar Berger. In a press conference the general coordinator of CONIC, Pedro Esquina, said that the government’s response to their demands was an insult to the Maya and popular movement. He added that it doesn’t make sense to continue negotiations under these conditions with a racist and exclusive government. On April 5, after a protest blocking the entrance to the capital, CONIC, together with representatives of the National Teachers Assembly (ANM), held the press conference to explain their position with respect to the government’s response to the list of demands they had presented the previous week. CONIC leaders characterized the government’s response as a publicity stunt. Juan Tiney and Rodolfo Pocop, also leaders of CONIC, joined Esquina at the press conference. Tiney told the press that the uprising would start immediately. He said that they are not talking about just one day of actions, but rather a movement based on legitimate resistance to the government. The actions announced by CONIC include land occupations, roadblocks, and protests following Easter. Mentioning Ecuador and Bolivia as examples of what can be achieved, Tiney said that the government has forced them to choose the path of popular struggle. The leaders also urged Rosalina Tuyuc, Rigoberta Menchú, and all the Mayans who work for the current government to resign and take up the struggle of the Mayan community, or be considered traitors. Resolutions to the numerous land conflicts in Guatemala, as well as respect for the autonomy of indigenous communities, represented a key part of CONIC’s demands. The government suggested referring these demands to the Land Fund (FONTIERRAS), which CONIC leaders did not consider an effective response. CONIC has urged the government to act to resolve over 100 land conflicts throughout the country, cancel debts accrued during the transfer of certain fincas, suspend mining licenses, and adopt legislation addressing nationality and indigenous peoples. A CONIC communiqué highlighted a number of situations, including the recent conflicts in Petén, including the recent harassment, intimidation, and threats of eviction endured by thirty-seven communities in Laguna del Tigre. CONIC denounced the government for engaging in negotiations to sell this land to transnational mining companies, even though some of the families have been living on the land for more than thirty years. CONIC has also urged the government to respect the decisions of communities in San Marcos regarding mining activity. The organization has also drawn attention to San Antonio Las Pilas finca, in Tecún Umán, San Marcos, where fifty families have occupied part of the farm since February 10. According to CONIC, the families have been subjected to threats, intimidation, arbitrary detention, and threats of eviction on the part of the landowners. CONIC called on CONTIERRA and the Human Rights Procurator’s Office (PDH) to intervene to prevent further intimidation, investigate the situation, and help negotiate a solution. CONIC also mentioned that the forty families occupying an uncultivated piece of land called Agua Escondida in Huehuetenango have repeatedly been harassed by members of a neighboring community. The harassment has continued in spite of an agreement signed in November 2005. CONIC urged the Land Fund to speed up investigations in this particular case and urged the PDH in the Ixcán to intervene. Julio Solano, of the ANM, stated that the teachers support CONIC’s demands and are prepared to participate in the movement, which Solano characterized as building momentum. The ANM will also hold consultations with their base in various departments, in order to determine their official position. Among other requests, the ANM is currently demanding an end to the process of terminating Joviel Acevedo and the inclusion of PDH representatives in all negotiations. Government Discourages Illegal Measures President Oscar Berger and Vice President Eduardo Stein agreed that negotiations should continue, in order to find a workable solution to the demands of the campesinos. The president also warned that road blocks would not be accepted. When asked about CONIC’s plans, he invited them to renewed negotiations, adding that the government is open to dialogue, but not road blocks. He said the government would combat all illegal actions. Stein stated that they have made progress and that they have reached agreements related to some of the organizations’ petitions. These advances were outlined in the document presented to CONIC leaders on April 4. He added that the end of the armed conflict nine years ago changed the nature of conflicts in Guatemala and there are now democratic avenues to resolve problems. Sources: Prensa Libre, “Amenazan con rebelión popular,” April 6, 2006. CONIC Leader and Wife Murdered At 7:00pm on April 5, Antonio Ixbalán Cali and his wife, María Petzley Coo, were attacked in Valparaíso, Chicacao, Suchitepéquez. Four armed men wearing black shot at the couple in their home, instantaneously killing María Petzey and gravely wounding her husband, Antonio Ixbalán, who died hours later in a hospital in Mazatenango. Antonio Ixbalán was the president of the Association of Farmers in Santiago Atitlán, a member of the National Indigenous and Campesino Coordinating Committee (CONIC). The couple was originally from Santiago Atitlán, Sololá. Along with 44 other families, their struggle for land was rewarded on February 8, 2002, when they received land on the Valparaíso finca in Chicacao, Suchitepéquez. They were still struggling for the cancellation of a debt of 2,180,000 quetzales (approximately $287,000). CONIC considers the murders of these two Tz’utujil leaders a direct attack on the organization itself. The attacks occurred just nine hours after CONIC and other organizations broke negotiations with the government and called for national actions calling for agrarian reform. CONIC demands that the Oscar Berger administration quickly and thoroughly investigate this act and bring the intellectual and material authors to justice. Army Violently Evicts Campesinos in Petén According to information received from the Agrarian Platform, on the morning of March 29, some 310 members of the Worker and Campesino Labor Federation (FESOC) in the community of La Bendición, Flores, Petén, were violently evicted by army troops from land they were occupying. The army reportedly entered the area with tanks and helicopters, then burned homes and injured campesinos during the eviction. Since last year the campesinos had been waiting for the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP) to comply with its commitment to relocate them on other suitable land. The land where the campesinos were living had been reclaimed by CONAP as a protected area. Although FESOC had presented the case to the Presidential Commission to Resolve Land Conflicts (CONTIERRA) so that a solution favoring the campesino families could be reached, CONTIERRA was apparently unable to stop the eviction. The Agrarian Platform, of which FESOC is a member, expressed support for the campesino group and is demanding that the government attend to the families who were evicted and to the persons who suffered injuries during the eviction by the army, in which the campesinos’ belongings were also destroyed. The Agrarian Platform asserted that this recent eviction reveals the current administration’s incapacity to resolve agrarian conflicts in the country and confirms the government’s lack of political will in attending to the demands of campesino groups. Tensions Rise on Finca in Alta Verapaz Residents of the Tampama property of La Mocca finca (farm) in Senahú, Alta Verapaz, filed an official complaint before the Presidential Commission Against Discrimination and Racism. The head of the Presidential Commission Against Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA), Blanca Estela Alvarado, said in a press conference that the situation there is very tense. Community representatives say that landowner Roberto Hempstead and his private security forces continue to pressure the former finca workers now occupying the property. In 2002 the majority of the workers were dismissed from work on the coffee plantations. The families, some of which had lived and worked on the finca for most of their lives, have since been involved in a labor dispute with the landowner. He reportedly asked the workers to sign a labor settlement agreeing to receive land in lieu of compensation, yet the landowner has failed to specify the size or location of the plots. On February 1, police, soldiers, and private security agents showed up to evict the campesinos. Their homes and belongings were reportedly burned after they fled the area. The following day, the families returned. A few days later, the landowner’s private security guards reportedly shot at and wounded community members who were trying to collect water. Tensions have continued to escalate since that time. According to leaders Mateo Yat and Emiliano Xe, the community’s water sources have recently been contaminated and 125 people have become ill. The affected families live in terrible conditions and the local health center will not attend to them, per orders of the landowner. One local leader, Alejandro Icol, recently committed suicide, reportedly due to the community’s situation. On April 6, Amnesty International received a report that the authorities were planning a forced eviction for later that day. Amnesty expressed concern for the safety of the community members and stated that the police have not received proper training on international standards for carrying out forced evictions. Government Urged to Halt Evictions Amnesty International (AI) urged the Guatemalan government to halt evictions in rural communities and revise its legislation and current practices. The recently released AI report, “Guatemala Land of Injustice?” examines the human rights violations committed in the context of land conflicts. Among other issues, the report looks at the impact of forced and violent evictions and the discrimination suffered by rural workers and indigenous peoples. The report also includes sixty recommendations, many of which do not require large investments, but do require the will to resolve the problem. Javier Zúñiga, AI’s Program Director of the Americas, said that President Berger has not yet shown interest in meeting with AI or receiving an international delegation to discuss the conflicts and their possible solutions, in spite of the increasing tensions and social pressure in rural areas.





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