Guatemala Mayan community argues before human rights court

Lawyers for an Indigenous community in eastern Guatemala made arguments before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Wednesday in a case that could have far-reaching implications for Indigenous communities throughout the Americas.

The community of Agua Caliente, one of 16 Maya Q’eqchi’ communities in the El Estor municipality, is demanding that the Guatemalan government give them title to their land and the right to determine how its natural resources are exploited.

“This case brings to the court, for the first time, a chance to rule on whether governments should act to recognize the rights of Indigenous peoples to permanent sovereignty over their natural resources, as a principle of public international law,” said Leonardo Crippa, an attorney with the Indian Law Resource Center and one of those representing the community, in a statement.

The plaintiffs expect that deliberations by the court seated in Costa Rica could take at least seven months. Mining operations and other exploitation of natural resources on Indigenous lands are frequently sources of conflict in the Americas and that problem is expected to grow as the pressure increases to produce valuable minerals needed for green energy initiatives, the center said.

The cloudy ownership status of lands near Lake Izabal has been the source of disputes in the area for decades.

Rodrigo Tot, an Indigenous leader who won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2017 for defense of community lands, said in a virtual news conference Tuesday that they have awaited justice for more than four decades.

In the 1960s, the government granted a 40-year mining license to a company without setting clearly defined limits and boundaries.

In the 1980s the National Agrarian Transformation Institute agreed to give the area’s Indigenous communities lands to manage collectively, but never gave them titles.

Over the years, families were forced from their lands by mining interests, especially during Guatemala’s armed conflict, which ended in 1996.

Now 16 Indigenous communities in El Estor live with the massive open-pit Fenix nickel mine owned by a subsidiary of the Swiss Solway Investment Group.

Last year, protests over the mine led the government to impose martial law and a curfew in the area to protect the operations of the nickel processing plant.

The mine is under a court order to carry out a public consultation process in the community about the project. In an October statement, Solway said that it was fully complying with the court-ordered consultation on the Fenix mine and noted that the nickel processing plant on the site is not subject to the court order.

Lawyers for an Indigenous community in eastern Guatemala made arguments before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Wednesday in a case that could . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • Body with signs of crocodile attack found in Ameca River, a leg was found last monthPurple Flag Warns Beachgoers after Crocodile at Los Muertos Beach Authorities raised a purple flag after a crocodile at Los Muertos Beach was spotted swimming near shore, advising visitors to avoid entering the water until safety checks ended. Local authorities recorded a crocodile swimming in the vicinity of Los Muertos Beach, one of Puerto Vallarta’s busiest tourist spots. Lifeguards spotted the reptile in shallow water…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • puerto vallarta loses three blue flag beachesPuerto Vallarta retains four Blue Flag Beaches, down from eight Puerto Vallarta will enter the 2025–2026 season with four international Blue Flag distinctions in Puerto Vallarta, even after tourism-driven environmental damage cost it half of its previous honors. The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Mexico confirmed that three resort flags will be revalidated at Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, The Westin Resort &…
  • cancun-beaches-50-tons-sargassum-cleanupSargassum in Quintana Roo Hits 76 Beaches from Cancun to Tulum, Only 24 Clean Beaches Sargassum in Quintana Roo has reached moderate to excessive levels on 76 beaches—including Cancun—as cleanup crews race to protect tourism and coastal ecosystems. A recent survey from the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network and the Sargassum Citizen Observatory shows 76 out of 100 beaches on the state’s Caribbean coast now face moderate to excessive seaweed…
Scroll to Top