"From 22 to 24 April this year, more than 550 women and men Q'eqchis, Ixil, quiches and other peoples of Guatemala met to discuss the irrational exploitation of resources natural in their communities by government and business. "(1) In the badge that the organization provided to all participants could read: "Free Rivers dams. No to water privatization. Water for Life. No more dams. "CAIG-ACOGUATE attended as international observers.
"Water, land and corn, defend the country"
This was one of the slogans chanted by the participants of the meeting which began on Wednesday 23 April morning with welcoming remarks by Mr. Augustine, the Guatemalan National Front against Dams. He himself made a presentation to an audience that filled the building for conferences of the event. Some of his words were: "Survival. Unit. And coping strategies "to protect natural resources.
Then one of the representatives of the council of the municipality of San Miguel Uspantán, Don Hipolito Hernandez, said literally to the attendees of the meeting, "not the dams, not mining." It should be mentioned that the municipality of Uspantán in 2007 made a Community Consultation in which a majority said no to mining.
A central government representative said that "the dams are made not for the people but for other interests." He referred to hydraulic Chixoy, located very near where the encounter, saying: " Chixoy dam has a lot of blood, "referring to the massacres in different communities conducted by the state army during the 70's and 80's while developing the hydroelectric project.
Then the same politician recalled that "the English and came to take our resources and still today." Own words of a politician meets have, in contrast with the reflective and serene tone throughout the meeting, added that "the government of the rich and over. The current government listens to the poor. " He ended his eloquent speech with a reference to the Zona Reyna Uspantan, "this area represents the spirit of freedom because they never bowed before the army. "
However, as he later one of the speakers at the meeting, is no longer the "benefit of the doubt" to the policies of government, civil society must make a "social audit criticism."
CONFERENCE TOMORROW APRIL 23:
"The two-headed monster"
journalist of The Observer, Carmen Reina, developed in the first lecture of the day criticizing the government of Alvaro Colom without demagoguery and providing data and relevant information on the megaprojects. To begin with, compared the current government of UNE with a two-headed monster. He cited the example of this metaphor the prestigious environmental Luis Ferraté, Minister of Environment, and the curator Carlos Meany, Minister of Energy and Mines. Two ministers who, as Queen, defend completely opposite interests.
The journalist recalled the new global market trend in the production of agro-fuels criticizing the strategy of "fueling cars and not people." Congress of Guatemala currently promoting a new law to encourage the exploitation of this new resource. Queen
emphasized the fact that many of the dams implanted in Guatemala will use their power to other countries, such as hydroelectric Xalalá, he said, "is designed to sell power directly to El Salvador, not Guatemala."
journalist showed different maps to visualize the development of mega projects in the country, highlighting the connection between the old hydroelectric Chixoy, the new Xalalá, the city of Guatemala and El Salvador.
and questioned who benefits from these projects when you know that in 100 mining and hydroelectric projects, 80 are foreign owned and 20 national. He cited the example Bolivia, which gets 60% of the profits from the exploitation of gas and compared this figure with the 1% obtained Guatemala.
commented that with the cynical and false slogan to promote the development of communities, the government approved the development of multiple mega-projects without the participation of communities, for example, Chixoy dam. Today, 30 years after the construction of this hydroelectric, communities are still without electricity in the area. more recent example: "the company Hydroxacbal in Chajul, entered clandestinely in the communities where its hydroelectric project and its inhabitants evicted."
"Community Consultation fundamental right"
legal adviser of the international NGO Rights Action, Marta Garcia, remarked at the second conference of the meeting that the Community Consultations are a "fundamental right" to defend the natural resources and community interests. Began by recalling the Convention 169 (2) which reads: "The State is obliged to consult indigenous peoples on issues that directly affect their way of life."
also highlighted Article 141 (3) and recalled that "sovereignty resides in the people." Defined sovereignty as "society, authorities, land, resources, property, heritage and the way how to manage everything. " He added, "that sovereignty in the Government's delegate (the executive), Congress (legislative body) and the Courts (Judiciary). Needless to say, the three bodies should be independent.
The licensed pointed to the Consultation Zacapa, Rio Hondo, the second held in the country in 2005, in which the said public consultation was illegal, not binding. However, as legal adviser said, "If the consultation is a fundamental right, must be legal, ie that generates an obligation and responsibility." In the case exists national and international legal interpretation of this consultation.
Marta Garcia stressed that people should be informed of any project or activity affecting natural resources. And, most importantly, must respect their decision. In this regard, he noted that it is "more than 300,000 people who have said no in different Community Consultations" to various projects that affect their communities. With the upcoming construction of the dam Xalalá estimated 32 communities will be affected and 6,000 people. And so far, no one has reported anything to these communities and asked them if they want to do this project. This is the same dynamic that prevails throughout the country as seen listening to the cases that many attendees of the meeting was told.
"The people of the Ixil area, like people in other areas and regions are now the subject of movement and economic policies and covert operations. That is, hidden and developed on the backs of the people and communities but on their own natural resources. So the region has operated a company of Italian origin who has bought about 28 thousand strings of land with six villages within them, in the Biosphere Reserve of Cerro Visis, without knowledge of the communities that historically survived have managed and natural resources of these summits. "(4).
Society can make use of the following types of queries: Check popular consultation of residents, consultation of authorities and community consultation. In all cases, and as stated in Article 44 (5), "the social interest must prevail over the individual." However, there has long been a "legislicidio" in the words of the specialist Garcia, who "does not respect and benefit the people."
Biodiversity and sacred hills
Don Ricardo Cardenas, of the environmental organization Madre Selva, was the third speaker of the meeting. Showed that "there is no biological studies that document the rich biodiversity of the area Xalalá", which will build a new dam. And with a community partner Las Margaritas presented an excerpt of the results of biological study conducted last March in the Zona Reyna. The same conclusion that "the dam located between the rivers Xalalá Copón and Chixoy affect this region."
Environmentalists recalled that "studies and knowledge of the biological richness of course helps the struggle for the defense of natural resources because thanks to them know what you have and what you can lose." They also spoke of the spiritual side of the culture of this country and respect that should be taken by the "sacred mountains that are destroyed to build roads and megaprojects."
OFFICERS WORKING LATE APRIL 23:
"Land not sold, is cared for and defends "
were organized four workshops open to all attendees: 1) Organization of the defense of natural resources. 2) dams and hydroelectric projects. 3) Resistance to megaprojects. 4) Experience of legal struggle. In the table
resistance to megaprojects, individual representatives and civil associations in different areas denounced the country's mining, hydroelectric and oil in their communities and told how they organize to defend endangered natural resources.
A representative of the Eastern region, who participated in the working group, said many communities in the region for families suffering from hunger and malnutrition. Said that even today in some communities "who survive for three summer months, have nine months to live." Because "you can take a few days without eating but not drinking water."
At the end of this workshop, worktable control strategy summarized in the following points: 1) Get project information. 2) Organize and maintain unity. 3) Conduct technical studies. 4) energizing the resistance councils and networks such as Community Development Councils (COCODE). 5) To educate, train and educate. 6) Community Development Committee. 7) Conduct community consultations. 8) Do not sell the land. 9) legal recourse. 10) Develop a plan or strategy of struggle. 11) Keep the pressure and resistance. 12) To influence local and national-international. 13) Organize resistance region and join the fight. 14) Disseminate information to the media. 15) Do not be caught because of cooperation. "
The 4 th Meeting in Defense Natural Resources was held in the village of Hom, Chajul, still no date set. Be another opportunity to take stock and analyze the impacts of mega projects in the communities, the country's economy and Mother Earth. FINAL STATEMENT
:
From the Declaration of the Third National and International Natural Resources Defense
"We proclaim to the peoples of Latin America and the world:
1. We are men and women, farmers and indigenous communities, organized, we are in resistance to the invasion and aggression of imperialism, national and transnational companies, which are taking over our natural resources, our land, our lives.
2. That our grandmothers and grandfathers defended their lands and natural resources, which we inherited, and it is our responsibility to defend our children and grandchildren, so be it, so be it. Defend imperialist project Surface Mining, Hydroelectric Projects, Privatization of Natural Resources, infrastructure projects and oil, causing devastation, disease and death, which destroy communities and curtail the sovereign development of our peoples. (...)
ALL FOR NOTHING WITHOUT THE COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY. " (6)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
For ACOGUATE.
Photos: ACOGUATE 1) The Tana Uspantán Quiché 2) The Hydroelectric Chixoy, Baja Verapaz. 3. Meeting participants References
article:
1 and 6 Statement of Third National and International Natural Resources Defense.
2 169, Convention on the Law of Indigenous Peoples, International Labour Organization (ILO).
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