PBI-Guatemala accompanies the Indigenous Community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque as they call for Ancestral Law 6086 and resist mining

Published by Brent Patterson on February 14, 2025February 14, 2025

On February 12, PBI-Guatemala posted

“Today #PBIaccompanies the San Francisco Quezaltepeque Indigenous Community in the ceremony of handing over of rods to the 23 new Indigenous Authorities of the recently created Council of Ancestral Maya Ch’orti’ San Juan Ermita Indigenous Communities and to 5 new Indigenous Authorities of the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa Chiquimula.

More than 12 communities of this municipality are organized to publicly express the legitimacy of their leaders and to defend their community autonomy.”

The Facebook post by the Indigenous Community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque included that the ceremony was: “Accompanied by international peace brigades PBI.”

The Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa further explain: “Today indigenous authorities of the Comunidad Indígena San Francisco Quezaltepeque and the Consejo Indígena Maya Ch’orti’ de Olopa Chiquimula and Camotan in assembly delivered sticks of authority to representatives of communities of San Juan Ermita and Olopa, in this way strengthens the organization of the Maya Ch’orti’ people for the defense of the territory of projects that violate their rights.”

They add: “Today indigenous authorities of the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa Chiquimula and the Indigenous Community San Francisco Quezaltepeque and Camotan in assembly delivered rods of authority to representatives of communities of San Juan Ermita and Olopa, also ask to approve law 6086 biodiversity law and ancestral knowledge.”

The Biodiversity and Ancestral Knowledge Law Initiative (6086)

Earlier this year, Prensa Libre explained:

“Deforestation, climate change, the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and extractive activities threaten both the ecosystems and the cultural traditions that have sustained these lands for centuries. Faced with this reality, the Biodiversity and Ancestral Knowledge Law Initiative (6086) emerged, a legislative proposal aimed at safeguarding these fundamental pillars for the country’s sustainability.

In 2017, a diverse group of actors, including ancestral authorities, indigenous and peasant organizations, academics, lawyers, and deputies, came together to discuss the negative effects of the imposed development model and seek viable solutions. After years of consensus and collaboration, Bill 6086 was introduced, a legal framework that represents collective aspirations to protect biodiversity and ancestral knowledge.”

Initiative 6086 includes:

“Community management of natural resources: The law proposes that indigenous communities have greater control over their territories and resources. This approach not only recognizes their role as guardians of the environment, but also promotes sustainable development models that respect cultural and environmental principles.

Regulation of extractive activities: Legal mechanisms are proposed to limit the environmental impact of extractive projects, ensuring a balance between economic development and environmental conservation.”

The Indigenous Community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque

The Indigenous Community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque belongs to the Maya Ch’orti’ people. They are resisting Minerales Sierra Pacifico S.A. This company has five exploration licenses for gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc. The Ch’orti’ people are concerned about the negative impacts of these mining activities.

Minerales Sierra Pacifico S.A. is a subsidiary of Vancouver, Canada-based Gold Group Management Inc.

Gold Group in Canada

The Gold Group Management website has noted that one of its member groups, Rackla Metals, has gold exploration “projects located in the eastern Yukon and western Northwest Territories, Canada.”

In May 2018, the Whitehorse Daily Star reported: “The [Yukon] territory’s assessment board has recommended approval of a 65-kilometre, all-season road through virgin wilderness to the Rackla Gold Property. Serious concerns have been raised [about the proposed road] by the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun.”

The Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa

The Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa is working in the municipality of the same name, in the department of Chiquimula and formed by 14 communities.

The communities of Olopa are confronting the company American Minerals S.A., which was granted a 25-year antimony extraction license in 2012, without prior consultation with the communities. In 2016, when mining activities began, the communities became aware of the negative impacts of these activities on water and the environment, and demanded the closure of the project.

We continue to follow this.