Over the last few months, indigenous activists in northern Huehuetenango have experienced a series of threats, criminalization and attacks for their defense of indigenous rights and their opposition to hydroelectric dams and other large-scale projects planned for the region.
20-year old Pascual Basilio Pascual Diego was seriously injured in Santa Eulalia on January 20, 2015, and died in mid-March due to his injuries.
Then, Pascual Pablo Francisco, an active member of the community in Santa Cruz Barillas, went missing on March 24 and was found dead three days later. These deaths have occurred in a general context of vulnerability for indigenous communities in the region.
The Guatemalan government has a responsibility to guarantee the safety of community members participating in the legitimate defense of their rights, and we are calling on the Attorney General to ensure prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into the murders of both Mr. Pascual Pablo Francisco and Mr. Basilio Pascual.