ALERT: 16-year-old son of Maya-Poqomam leader opposed to sand extraction in Chinautla, Guatemala killed by gunmen
Prensa Comunitaria photo: “Poqomam people of Chinautla say goodbye to Enilson Vásquez Chacón … who was murdered during an attack against his father on Thursday, April 18.”
The Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project has posted on Facebook: “We share our ALERT about the murder of Denilson Alberto Vázquez Chacón and attempted murder of Lester Moisés Armando Vázquez Chacón, children of a defender and indigenous authority of the Multisectoral Chinautla. Find it here.”
Prensa Comunitaria has also reported: “Brothers Lesster Moisés, 19, and Anilson Alberto Vásquez Chacón, 16, were attacked by two unknown men on a motorcycle on the night of Thursday, April 18, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Both are the sons of Francisca Chacón and Armando Vásquez, members of the Mayan community authority Poqomam, from the Cruz Blanca community, in Chinautla, Guatemala.”
That Prensa Comunitaria article adds: “Armando Vásquez is a Poqomam authority who, together with the authorities of the surrounding communities, who during July and August 2022, held a protest against the companies that exploit pebbles and that has affected the community; In addition, these companies operated without a valid license for more than two years in the community of Santa Cruz.”
The PBI-Guatemala alert further notes: “About two months before the events, on February 9, Denilson Alberto was run over and seriously injured by a clay extraction truck belonging to the company La Primavera, one of the many companies operating in the area whose activities Multisector de Chinautla have been protesting for years. This company’s license has expired and yet it continues to operate in the area, causing serious impacts on houses and infrastructure, as well as air pollution and noise pollution.”
PBI-Guatemala calls on the international community to:
-pay special attention to the situation in Chinautla and, in particular, to the safety of the members of Multisector Chinautla.
-organize a visit to Chinautla to express their solidarity with the Vázquez Pascual family and publicly share their concern over and raise awareness of the risk in which the members of the Multisector Chinautla are facing.
-in their political dialogue with the Government of Guatemala, request that the State grant protection measures to the Vázquez Pascual family and the members of Multisector Chinautla and that the provision of these measures be coordinated with the beneficiaries and;
-request the prompt and effective investigation and criminal prosecution of those responsible for the events.”
The PBI-Guatemala Project has been accompanying the Chinautla Multisector Urban Platform since December 2018.
PBI-Canada visited with the community in May 2023.
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