Message about and from the Xinka people from Guatemala – Petition
For nearly a decade, the Xinka Indigenous people living around the Escobal silver mine in Guatemala have been in peaceful resistance to the mine to prevent the destruction of their land and water. For their resistance, members of the Xinka community have been murdered and imprisoned.
The good news is that they managed to stop the operations of one of the most controversial silver mines in Latin America.
Now, however, a Canadian mining company is seeking to reopen the destructive mine. And the Guatemalan government is working hand in hand with the giant mining company to impose a rigged consultation process that excludes the Xinka people, with the aim of resuming the mine.
Within two weeks, our colleagues in Guatemala are planning an action to pressure the Guatemalan government to demand that it support the Xinka people in their efforts to protect their territory. If we get 10,000 signatures, our colleagues will hand over the signatures directly to the Guatemalan government. That’s why your support is urgent now.
Sign this petition in solidarity with the Xinka people in their struggle to defend their territory from the Escobal mine.
It is clear that the Xinka people and their neighbors do not want the mine; they have been in resistance for almost a decade.
Their opposition has been strong and peaceful, and has brought great costs: several people have lost their lives and others have had to abandon their homes and lands.
However, they won a big victory – in 2017 Guatemalan courts recognized that the government had discriminated against the Xinka people and had not consulted them. The mine was suspended.
But now, responding to the interests of a Canadian mining company, Pan American Silver, the Guatemalan government is trying to hasten the consultation process and exclude the Xinka people themselves, who were the ones who suffered discrimination in the first place, from resuming the mine.
We need 10,000 signatures in 2 weeks — can you help us and sign the petition of solidarity with the resistance to the Escobal mine?
In the summer, I attended the annual Pan American Silver meeting to pose a question on behalf of you, SumOfUs members, and also on behalf of incredible allies like Earthworks and local organizations who have come together before to win the multi-million dollar companies. Together, we’ve prevented Newmont from moving forward with its plans to build a gold mine on the Maxima Acuña site in Peru.
And if we act now, we can stop the Guatemalan government’s attempts to violate the rights of the Xinka people and resume the Escobal mine. Sign this petition in solidarity now and our allies in Guatemala will hand over their signatures directly to the Guatemalan government.