November, 2003

Hundreds of Guatemalan soldiers and policemen violently evict farm workers and their families

Homes and crops destroyed.

Farm workers (campesinos) and their families were violently evicted from their land and saw their homes and farms destroyed, on April 11, 2003. The eviction was carried out by hundreds of soldiers and policemen, in the presence of the public prosecutor. The armed forces continue harassing campesino families.

This is a flagrant violation of one of the Peace Accords that ended the civil war in Guatemala, in 1996. The Accord on Socio–Economic Aspects and the Agrarian Situation calls for

increased citizen participation in socio–economic development,
promoting the access of campesinos to land ownership,
protection of communal lands and limitation on their alienability,
compensation or restoration of usurped lands.

The Guatemala umbrella group of farm workers (Comité de Unidad Campesina – CUC), a 25–year–old grass–roots organization, has sent an urgent request of solidarity with the farm workers (campesinos) and their families.

Background information

The evicted families have been living on and cultivating the Maguey farm in the municipality of Fraijanes, department of Guatemala, for over forty years. They received official recognition of their ownership of the land by Government Decree 223–2003 on April 7, 2003.

Just four days later, on April 11 around 10 a.m., 200 hundred soldiers in civilian clothing, accompanied by 400 National Police, brutally and illegally evicted the members of the community, destroying their school, their farms and homes. This was done in the presence of Celeste Díaz, public prosecutor of the Ministry of Justice. After the eviction, the families settled themselves on the shoulders of the highway next to the farm in extremely perilous conditions.

The Government annulled the ownership decree on April 30, 2003. The new decree's number is 252–2003

On July 9, 2003, the evicted families peacefully took possession of a small part of the Maguey farm as a way of applying pressure for (1) the return of their lands; (2) an investigation into the violent and illegal evictions; and (3) indemnification for damages suffered, valued at Q 577,000. (about $115,000 Cdn.)

Since then, the army has constructed a military circle around the land taken over by the campesinos (farmers) and has conducted constant intimidations.

On August 14, at about 9:30 p.m., drunk soldiers walked around the houses, threatening to fire their guns.
On Sept. 11, soldiers rounded up several head of cattle and horses and let them loose in the center of the community, thereby placing the lives of children, women and elderly people in danger, as well as destroying the few crops the community depended upon.
On October 3, around 4:30 p.m., when a member of the community and his family when to draw some water from the well for a bath, nine soldiers, using vulgar language, forced them to leave at the point of a gun.
On October 4, around 10 p.m., an army truck carrying 40 soldiers, armed with guns and sticks, arrived. They walked around the community, intimidating the people for about 45 minutes.
On October 9, around 7:30 p.m., two military trucks arrived, carrying about 100 soldiers, equipped with sticks, helmets, shields and guns. They intimidated the people. When representatives of the Human Rights Commission arrived around 10 p.m., the soldiers hid on the bushes. When the Human Rights people left, the soldiers returned and continued to intimidate the people, saying that "the way of dealing with this type of problem is to kill one of the members of the community."

In addition, the soldiers deny permission to the campesinos to have access to the water source in the farm. The soldiers say that the campesinos need permission from the Army Chief of Staff, Colonel Enrique Rios Sosa to have access to the water. Shootings at night and movement of troops are routine.

Suggested Action:

Please write to Guatemalan authorities asking them to respect the Accord on Socio–Economic Aspects and the Agrarian Situation and, therefore, to immediately stop these violations of the rights of the campesinos.

This implies:
- to stop immediately the harassment to the campesino families,
- to allow the campesinos to return to their land,
- to order a fair reparation for the damage caused to their property, and
- to investigate the illegal and violent evictions and prosecute those found guilty of illegal conduct.
Please send your messages with copy to the Government of Canada
Please send a solidarity copy to the Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC)
Please let other Canadians know about this issue and your response: contact the media, community groups, etc.

Addresses:

Lic. Alfonso Portillo, President of the Republic of Guatemala

Palacio Nacional, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

fax: (011) 502 221 4423

e–mail: mensajes@presidenteportillo.gob.gt

If possible, please send copies to :

Dr. Julio Arango Escobar, Procurador General de Derechos Humanos [Human Rights Ombudsman]

12 Avenida 12-72, zona 1, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

fax: (011) 502 238 1734

e-mail: opdhg@intelnet.net.gt

Lic. Carlos De León Argueta, Fiscal General [Attorney General]

Ministerio Público [Ministry of Justice]

8 Avenida 10-67, zona 1, Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala

fax: (011) 502 221 2718

His Excellency Carlos Humberto Jimenez Licona

Ambassador for the Republic of Guatemala

130 Albert Street, Suite 1010, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4

Fax: (613) 233–0135

Email: embassy1@embaguate–canada.com

Government of Canada:

The Hon. Bill Graham, P.C., M.P. , Minister of Foreign Affairs

Lester B. Pearson Building, Tower "A", 10th Floor 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0G2

Phone: (613) 995 1851

Fax: (613) 996 3443

E-Mail: bill.graham@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Ambassador James Lambert

Canadian Embassy

P.O. Box 400, Ciudad de Guatemala, 01001, Guatemala, C.A.

Tel: (011-502) 363-4348

Fax: (011-502) 365-1210

E-Mail: gtmla@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Please send a solidarity copy to:

Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC)

mailing address: Apartado Postal 1002–01901, Correo Central, Guatemala

phone: (011) 502 434 9754 or (011) 502 434 9500

e–mail: cuc@guate.net

If possible, please send the SJC a copy of your letter. Fax or e–mail: gloria@s-j-c.net

Thanks for your solidarity!