Water Justice

PBI-Guatemala accompanies the Peaceful Resistance of the Poqomam People in Chinautla as Ministry of Environment visits

On January 15, PBI-Guatemala posted on Instagram: “A week ago PBI accompanied the Peaceful Resistance of the Poqomam People in Chinautla. They received a visit from the Ministry of Environment to review 7 water sources that are contaminated, mainly due to the activities of sand mining companies in the territory Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Guatemala accompanies the Peaceful Resistance of the Poqomán People in Chinautla in struggle against sand mines

PBI-Guatemala has posted: “On Tuesday [October 15], #PBIacompanies the women at the #Chinautla Poqomam Village Peaceful Resistance. At their meeting, they updated us about their upcoming activities and expressed their concerns regarding the safety situation of the community and defenders. They also shared with us their struggle for the recovery Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Honduras observes CMDBCPT press conference that demands justice for murdered Guapinol River defender Juan López

PBI-Honduras has posted: “Today [October 17], we observed the press conference of Guapinol Despierta [Guapinol Wake Up] in front of the Organized Crime, Environment and Corruption Court in Tegucigalpa. 27 years after the murder of Carlos Escaleras, the Municipal Committee in Defence of the Commons and Public Goods [of Tocoa/CMDBCPT] Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

COPINH rallies outside the Embassy of El Salvador calling for the release of the Santa Marta 5 water defenders

On October 9, the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) posted: “COPINH present at the Embassy of El Salvador in Honduras, demanding the release of the 5 ADES/Santa Marta defenders. COPINH joins the demand for freedom for the defenders of Santa Marta, who have tirelessly defended the Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Honduras accompanies CMDBCP as it demands independent investigation into the murder of Guapinol River defender Juan López

PBI-Honduras has posted: “Today we are accompanying the press conference of the Municipal Committee in Defense of Common and Public Goods. The Committee demands that justice be done and that those responsible for the vile murder of the defender Juan Lopez be punished. From PBI we make an urgent call Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Mexico accompanied María Eugenia Gabriel Ruiz meets with UN Special Rapporteur on the right to water

This morning, PBI-Mexico posted: “Yesterday, Mª Eugenia de la @redsolidariaDH was able to speak with the Special Rapporteur Pedro Arrojo @SRWatSan about the challenges and impacts faced by the communities of Michoacán regarding access to water due to its indiscriminate use in monocultures and mining activities.” María Eugenia Gabriel Ruiz, Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

UN Special Rapporteur calls for a stop to the criminalization of water defenders opposed to megaprojects in Canada

Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation, presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva this morning. He speaks about his visit to Canada here (starting at 2:09:54). While in Canada this past April 8 to 19, Arrojo-Agudo journeyed to Wet’suwet’en territory. Among Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

Guapinol River water protector and CMDBCPT leader Juan López killed by gunmen in Tocoa, Colón, Honduras

Late last night (September 14), Guapinol Exige Justicia posted on social media: “OUR COMRADE JUAN LOPEZ HAS BEEN MURDERED. Our great friend, colleague and coordinator was murdered as he was leaving the church by men on motorcycles just days after he asked for the resignation of the mayor of Libre Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

PBI-Guatemala accompanies Poqomam sit-in experiencing threats as they defend the Las Vacas River

PBI-Guatemala has posted: “Today, #PBI accompanies the Peaceful Resistance of the Poqomam People in their sit-in. We were informed about the threats and verbal aggression that members of the resistance frequently suffer. While we were at the encampment, many trucks passed by, contributing to noise and air pollution. We observed Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago

The struggle of the Guapinol River defenders against the Los Pinares megaproject continues in Honduras

Guapinol Resiste photo: Water defenders face “arbitrary detentions, murders, forced displacements, breakdown of the social fabric, surveillance, state violence, threats, and online and face-to-face defamation campaigns.” Community members and water defenders in Guapinol in the municipality of Tocoa in the department (state) of Colón in northern Honduras are peacefully resisting Read more…

By Brent Patterson, ago