On September 26, the Peace Brigades International-Guatemala Project posted on social media:
“A week ago, #PBI accompanied members of the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa (Chiquimula), the San Francisco Quezaltepeque Indigenous Community, and the Council of Ancestral Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Communities of San Juan Ermita to a meeting with the Chiquimula Departmental Government.
Although the National Cadastral Information Registry (RIC)* was scheduled to participate, the institution did not attend.
Given this situation, the meeting was used to address issues related to the integral development of Indigenous peoples—including their inclusion in State social programs, as well as respect for and the promotion of their culture, traditions, and identity.”
Cadastral can be understood in English as a land registry. The National Cadastral Information Registry (RIC) describes its mission as: “Establish, maintain and update the national cadastre to constitute a public registry aimed at the certainty and legal security of the property, tenure and use of land.”
PBI-Guatemala has previously noted: “The indigenous community of San Francisco Quezaltepeque is resisting a mining company working in the municipality: 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.” As noted on page 10 of this report, Minerales Sierra Pacifico S.A. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vancouver-based Radius Gold.
Factor 4 has also explained: “Territorial defense has a long-standing component: along with the Maya Ch’orti’ Indigenous Council of Olopa, San Juan Ermita, and Quezaltepeque, they have been resisting for over a decade against the activities of the mining company Cantera Los Manantiales. The communities point to impacts on the territory, contamination, and health effects, and claim to have documented their complaints through investigations and actions before national and international bodies.”
PBI-Canada continues to follow this.
