GUATEMALA
Jan 26 unjust criminalization of María Magdalena Cuc Choc, environmental and indigenous land rights defender in Izabal Dept., involved in a land dispute between her Chabil’ Ch’och’ indigenous community and an investment company held by a former president and former government officials
Feb 14 murders of journalists Laurent Ángel Castillo Cifuentes, age 28, and Luis Alfredo de León Miranda, age 30; their bodies with hands and feet tied and gunshot wounds to the head were found near Mazatenango, Suchitepéquez Department.
Mar 25 assault on Jorge Santos, the General Coordinator of UDEFEGUA (Protection Unit for Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala), and university student organizers of a human rights march, who were beaten with bats and machetes by 15 hooded attackers.
Apr 12 assassination of Héctor Manuel Choc Cuz of the local Mayan Q’eqchi’ community in El Estor, Izabal Department, which is organized in resistance to the Fenix nickel mine, operated by Guatemalan Nickel Company
Apr 23 assassination of Crisanto Garcia Ohajaca, uncle of Eugenio Ohajaca, Vice-President of the Coordination of Associations and Communities for the Integral Development of the Cho'rti People (COMUNDICH), which supports land rights claims of 48 indigenous Mayan Ch’orti’ communities along the Honduran border
May 23 assassination of three indigenous land rights defenders in one week: Luis Arturo Marroquin (age 47), member of the National Directorate of the Committee for Campesino Development (CODECA), Jalapa Dept.; José Can Xol (age 37) and Mateo Chamám Paau (age 31) , both members of the Campesino Committee of the Highlands (CCDA) in Cobán, Alta Verapaz Dept.
May 25 unjust criminalization and continued detention of Abelino Chub Caal, member of the Guillermo Toriello Foundation, who defends land rights of 29 indigenous communities in the Sierra de Santa Cruz region of Izabal Department against usurpation by plantation owners and mineral extraction companies (mining)
Jun 11 unjust criminalization of Jerson Antonio Xitumul Morales, who has been reporting on the organized opposition by the indigenous Maya-Q’eqchi' community to harmful effects of Guatemala Nickel Mining’s mine in El Estor, Izabal.
Jun 13 assassination of indigenous leaders Ramon Choc Sacrab (Comité Campesino del Altiplano (CCD) in Cobán Dept.), Florencio Pérez Nájera and Alejandro Hernández García (both of Campesino Development Committee (CODECA) in Jutiapa Dept.); death threats to Jacobo Omar Jerónimo (General Coordinator of “New Day” Ch′orti′ Campesino Central Coordinator (CCCND) in Chiquimula Dept.
Jun 26 arrest, criminalization, and ongoing detention of prisoner Bernardo Caal Xol, indigenous and environmental defender organizing resistance to hyrdrolectric dam projects in Maya q'eqchi' territories on the Oxec and Cahabón Rivers in Alta Verapaz Department.
Jul 23 death threats, smear campaigns, and police violence against environmental defenders with the Peaceful Resistance of the Microregion of Ixquisis, organizing against hydroelectric projects in Huehuetenango Dept.
Aug 1 assassination of indigenous and environmental human rights defender Ángel Estuardo Quevedo, member of the Peaceful Resistance organized opposition to the Escobal silver mine, owned by Canada-based Tahoe Resources, in Santa Rosa Department
Aug 2 assassination of Juana Raymundo, age 25, a nurse and member of the Campesino Development Committee (CODECA) and Executive Committee of the Movement for the Liberation of Peoples (MLP), in Quiché Department.
Aug 23 assassination of indigenous and environmental human rights defender Ángel Estuardo Quevedo, member of the Peaceful Resistance organized opposition to the Escobal silver mine, owned by Canada-based Tahoe Resources, in Santa Rosa Department (letter to executives at Tahoe Resources)
Aug 24 beating, arrest, and arbitrary detention of Edwin Choc and Martín Chub, local leaders of the Farmer’s Committee of the Highlands (CCDA), in Cobán, Alta Verapaz Department
Aug 26 attack on Rolanda de Jesús García Hernandez, an indigenous Mayan K'iche journalist documenting illegal logging (by Oxec hydroelectric/Energy Resources Capital Corporation of Panama) along the Cahabón River in Alta Verapaz Department.
Sep 24 harassment and intimidation of prominent human right activists, including: Nery Rodenas (Archbishop’s Human Rights Office), Helen Mack (Myrna Mack Foundation), Alfonso Carrillo (human rights attorney), Daniel Pascual (Campesino Unity Committee), Iduvina Hernández (Association for the Study of Security in Democracy), Claudia Virginia Samayoa and Jorge Alberto Santos (Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala)
Sep 25 assassination of Juana Ramírez Santiago, age 57, founding member of the Network of Ixil Women in Nebaj, Quiche Department.
Oct 22 armed attacks by the Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) against the Peaceful Resistance Movement of the Ixquisis Microregion, organizing resistance to mining and hydroelectric projects in Huehuetenango Department, lead to several injured, including Alfonso Miguel Juan
Dec 23 sentencing to more than 7 years in prison of Bernardo Caal Xol, indigenous and environmental defender organizing resistance to hyrdrolectric dam projects in Maya q'eqchi' territories on the Oxec and Cahabón Rivers in Alta Verapaz Department
Dec 24 assassination of Elizandro Pérez and threats to other members of the indigenous Central Campesina Ch’ortí Nuevo Día(CCCND): Norma Sánchez, Ubaldino García
