|
About LRAN
Find Authors/Orgs
Affiliate with LRAN
Sponsoring Organizations
News
Articles
Press Releases
Communiques
Actions
Research
Country Studies
Links
Topic Library
Publications
Events
New/Popular Pages
**Human Rights Monitor **
Contact the Land Research Action Network:
|
|
 |
TAKE ACTION-Guatemalan Land Reform
September 25, 2003
Indigenous land has been taken by force from families in the northern regions of Guatemala. Land must be redisributed to nearly 830 landless indigenous families in Guatemala if justice is to be restored in the countryside.
TAKE ACTION
EMERGENCY NETWORK
03.09.03
Guatemala: Theft of indigenous territory, Finca La Perla, Quich. The four indigenous communities, Ilom, Sotzil, Saqsiguan and Ixtupil were victims of a historic displacement of their land, when today, nearly 830 families (approximately 5100 persons) no longer have enough land to be able to fulfil their basic needs. All the affected communities belong to the indigenous group Ixil. The land of the communities has been located on the finca La Perla that almost sixfolded their land during the last century, and today constitutes a surface of 5859 hectares, while the indigenous families are left with 0,5 hectares as average. Because of the theft of the territory, that historically has belonged to the Ixil communities, the families have lost their necessary resources to be able to feed themselves in an adequate way.
It is absolutely urgent to demand from the President of the Republic of Guatemala that adequate measures will be taken in order to guarantee the right for the four communities to feed themselves, and to give back their land. Please send copies of the letter to the Secretary of Agrarian Affairs and to the Co-ordinator of the Peasants Organisations of Guatemala (CNOC).
************************************************************
Profile
In Guatemala, the concentration of land is one of the highest in the world. More than one million families, representing 96 percent of the agriculture producers, cultivate only a fifth of the agricultural land in the country. To the other extreme, 2.000 producers (0,15 percent) exploit 70 percent of the agricultural land. The reasons behind the extensive conflicts in the countryside could therefore be traced to the fact that the vast majority of the rural population is lacking access to sufficient productive resources to be able to fulfil their right to feed themselves, along with other economic, social and cultural rights. The majority of the victims to this unjust situation are indigenous people that already have been displaced from their traditional land.
The case of the finca La Perla, demonstrate the lack of measures taken by the government of Guatemala to fulfil the commitments assumed in the Peace Agreement of 1996, that clearly states that the processes of illegal monopolising of land ought to be reverted, the indigenous land in particular. In 1896, the territory of La Perla consisted of 22 caballerías (990 hectares). According to the a registration status study carried out by the governmental Commission for Resolutions of Conflicts, CONTIERRA, La Perla currently consists of 62 cab. (2790 hectares). Nevertheless, evidence show that the land that La Perla de facto possess, is even more extensive. According to preliminary estimations, the territory today consists of 130 cab. (5850 hectares), while the average of the families of the four communities possesses less than 0,5 hectares.
The communities have been struggling since many years to bring forward the legal situation and the registration status of the common municipal land, from where they were displaced by the landowners of La Perla. Because of the communities’ claims: access to the territory, a legal investigation, and the return of the land, they are suffering all kinds of abuse: verbal aggressions and death threats, control, harassment and abuse that are carried out daily by the employees of La Perla against the communities organised in CONIC and other peasant organisations. During the civil war that lasted 30 years, hundreds of indigenous families were displaced by force, blood spilling, and destruction of their livelihoods. The displacements were carried out by the paramilitaries, with the mandate of the owner of La Perla, Enrique Arenas Menes, who is known in the region as ”the tiger of Ixcán”.
The Mandate of the Emergency Network
Guatemala ratified the international human rights covenants, and is thereby bound to respect, protect and guarantee the rights enshrined in these treaties. Beyond the obligation of the state authorities to protect the lives of those threatened, they are therefore also obliged to guarantee their right to feed themselves.
During an international fact finding mission in April this year, FIAN carried out an inspection, and interviewed the affected peasant families and the authorities responsible to government. FIAN expressed its concerns about the case and stressed its demands to surpass the human rights violations, verified by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Secretary of Agrarian Affairs and the Legal Office of Human Rights (Procuraduría).
In order to contribute with greater international pressure, it is of utmost urgency that FIAN’s actions so far are followed through, to make the Guatemalan authorities protect and guarantee the right to feed oneself, and fulfil the right to physical integrity of the peasants families of the four Ixiles communities; Ilom, Sotzil, Sacqsiguan and Ixtupil.
End of Action: October 15, 2003
************************************************************
Please send letters to the following Addresses:
Lic. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera
Presidente de la República de Guatemala
6.av, ”A” 4-18, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala, C.A..
Fax: ++502-238 3579
Copies to:
Ing. Carlos Pinillos
Secretario de Asuntos Agrarios
Avenida Hincapié 5-71, zona 13, Guatemala Ciudad
Guatemala, C.A.
Fax: ++502-331 4291
CNOC-Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas
5a calle 1-61, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala
Guatemala,C.A.
Fax: ++ 52-220 2957
Please inform FIAN of any responses to your letters
A suggested letter writing format:
Honourable Mr. President,
It is with deep concern, I have received recent information about the situation in the four indigenous communities in the area of the finca La Perla, Quiché. The four indigenous communities, Ilom, Sotzil, Saqsiguan and Ixtupil were victims of a historic displacement of their lands, when today, nearly 830 families (approximately 5100 persons) no longer have enough land to be able to fulfil their basic needs. All the affected communities belong to the Ixil indigenous people. The land of the communities has been located on the finca La Perla that almost sixfolded their land during the last century and today it constitutes a surface of 5859 hectares, while the indigenous families are left with 0,5 hectares as average.
Because of the theft of the territory, that historically has belonged to the Ixil communities, the families have lost their necessary resources to be able to feed themselves in an adequate way. A part from this miserable situation, the families are suffering daily from all kinds of abuse, from verbal aggressions to death threats, that are carried out daily by the employees of La Perla against the communities for demanding access to the land, a legal investigation, and the return of the land.
Guatemala is State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The authorities are thereby bound to protect and guarantee particularly the peoples right to feed oneself, specially the indigenous people.
Therefore, I would like to ask Your Excellency, Mr. President, to immediately take adequate measures in order to realise:
- the clarification of the legal situation and the registration status of the land;
- the return of the land that belongs to the indigenous communities and the Municipality of Nebaj and Chajul;
- the definitive return of the robbed land to the communities and the Ixil Municipalities;
- the physical security of the families of the Ilom, Sotzil, Saqsiguan and Ixtupil communities.
Please inform me about the measures taken.
Yours respectfully
Su Excelencia
Lic. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera
Presidente de la República de Guatemala
6.av, ”A” 4-18, Zona 1
Guatemala, C.A..
Fax: ++502-238 3579
Excelentísimo Señor Presidente:
Con mucha preocupación, he recibido recientemente informaciones sobre la situación de cuatro comunidades indígenas en el área de la Finca La Perla, Quiché. Las cuatro comunidades indígenas Ilom, Sotzil, Saqsiguan e Ixtupil fueron víctimas de un despojo histórico de sus tierras, así hoy día, cerca de 830 familias (alrededor de 5100 personas) ya no tienen suficiente tierra para poder cubrir sus necesidades básicas. Todas las comunidades afectadas son del pueblo indígena Ixil. La tierra de las comunidades ha sido acaparada por la finca privada La Perla que casi sextuplicó su terreno en el siglo pasado y hoy abarca una superficie de 5850 hectáreas, mientras que a las familias indígenas sólo les quedaron en promedio menos de 0,5 hectáreas.
Por ese robo de las tierras que siempre les han pertenecido como comunidades ixiles, las familias han perdido los recursos necesarios para poder alimentarse de manera adecuada. Aparte de esa situación de vida miserable, las familias están sufriendo a diario toda clase de atropellos desde agresiones verbales hasta amenazas de muerte cometidas por empleados del finquero por el hecho de exigir el paso por la finca y por exigir que se investigue el robo histórico y que se remidan las tierras.
Guatemala es Estado parte de los Pactos Internacionales de Derechos Humanos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales, Civiles y Políticos. Por lo tanto, las autoridades están obligadas a proteger y garantizar particularmente el Derecho a la Alimentación de su pueblo especialmente de los pueblos indígenas.
En este marco, quiero solicitarle, Sr. Presidente, que adopte las medidas adecuadas e inmediatas para lograr:
- el esclarecimiento de la situación jurídica y registral de los terrenos;
- la remedición de las tierras que pertenecen a las comunidades indígenas y municipalidades de Nebaj y Chajul;
- la devolución definitiva de las tierras robadas a las comunidades y municipalidades ixiles;
- seguridad física de las familias de las comunidades de Ilom, Sotzil, Saqsiguan e Iztupil.
Le pido que me informe sobre las medidas tomadas.
Atentamente,
###
|
|
|
|
|
