Four men from Finca Washington case (Photo Credit: Lisa Rankin) The trial against seven campesinos from the Finca Washington in Purulha, Baja Verapaz came to a close on Wednesday, September 26th. Esteban Ichich, Hermelindo Ichich and Ricardo Chun were found guilty of violent usurpation and coercion and sentenced to 3.5 years in jail or Q5 [...]
Genocide retrial: Verdict against ex Chief of Military Intelligence
Ixil survivors hold a vigil outside of the Palace of Justice on Sept 26, 2018 (Photo credit: Carlos Sebastian) For many years, BTS has accompanied the trial for genocide against the Indigenous Ixil population in Guatemala. Yesterday, the retrial against former Chief of Military Intelligence Rodriguez Sanchez for genocide and crimes against humanity concluded. The high risk [...]
Overwhelming international support for Guatemalan communities resisting Tahoe’s Escobal mine
This past month, over 3,700 individuals took action in support of Guatemalan communities right to say “No” to Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine. The action re-sent a letter delivered to Tahoe Resources’ offices in Reno, NV and Guatemala City by allies at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) and representatives of Peaceful Resistance of Santa [...]
Update: Constitutional Crisis in Guatemala
As many of you know, Guatemala is in the midst of a Constitutional Crisis. On Friday, August 31, the Guatemalan government declared that it would not renew the mandate of the UN-back Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) in September 2019. Then when the Commissioner Ivan Velasquez left the country for meetings in the US, Guatemalan Immigration [...]
Canadians support CICIG’s work against corruption & impunity
On Friday, August 31st, President Jimmy Morales announced at a press conference, surrounded by military and police officers, that he would not be renewing the mandate of the CICIG, the UN-backed International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala. Hours earlier, an intimidating military presence was reported outside of the CICIG offices. As you may recall, last year Morales unsuccessfully [...]
