Indigenous people continue to lag behind Guatemalan society as a whole in terms of health, education, employment and income, a situation that is worse for Indigenous women. They do not see any further than what is around them. Indigenous peoples are more vulnerable due to poverty, social exclusion and structural racism. In fact, they have been more restricted than men in terms of their mobility both inside and outside their communities. Guatemala: The Quich Maya indigenous group and whether its situation is comparable to or distinguishable from the other indigenous groups in Guatemala, and whether there are reports of its mistreatment by government agents . October 26, 2021 A Call to Action to Stop Repression against Q'eqchi Peoples in Guatemala En espaol On October 24, 2021, Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei declared a state of siege (martial law) in the town of El Estor, Izabal, in response to clashes between Indigenous Q'eqchi land defenders and the State police. They reach a certain age and know that they have to leave, Colom says. The Guatemalan penal system reflects the discrimination denounced by the "Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples" signed in Mexico in 1995: "In order to overcome the historical discrimination against Indigenous peoples, the cooperation of all citizens is required to transform mentalities, attitudes and behaviour. Because Indigenous Peoples frequently do not have an equal voice in national and departmental decision-making, they experience unequal access to healthcare, educational opportunities, nutritious food, and jobs. In November 2018, he was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison despite a lack of evidence against him and irregularities in the prosecution, the experts said. As a result, poverty and food insecurity have increased and the greatest effects will be felt in the immediate future. In fact, human rights activists all over Guatemala, but mostly in the highlands, face danger and threats everyday. #Standup4humanrights RATZAN PABLO: They remember how the disease is coming, you know? Indigenous Peoples the challenges they face Indigenous peoples face many challenges. I asked them about vaccines. These organizations need your help to keep supporting Guatemalas indigenous population. But because there are so many negatives, we can't go all in. The U.S. government also became increasingly concerned, fearing the impact on American investments in the country. and visit the website at http://www.standup4humanrights.org. For example: the state invests USD0.4 per day in each Indigenous person and USD0.9 per day in each non-indigenous person;[1] poverty affects 75% of Indigenous people and 36% of non-indigenous people;[2] chronic malnutrition affects 58% of Indigenous people and 38% of non-indigenous people;[3] and, in terms of political participation, Indigenous individuals represent no more than 15% of parliamentarians and high-ranking public officials. USAID encourages Indigenous Peoples participation throughout the design and implementation of programs within Guatemala to ensure that all activities consider Indigenous Peoples development priorities. The United States designated three ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) leaders, including Emir Sanaullah Ghafari, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, in response to the August attack on Kabul International Airport, which killed at least 185 people including 13 U.S. servicemembers supporting evacuation operations and injured more than 150 others. In 2015, he organised peaceful opposition to the Oxec hydroelectric project, which the communities said endangered their sacred Cahabn River. Guatemalas army refused to act, and Arbenz was forced to resign. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The Indigenous people have another way to think. IP leaders call for unity to preserve IPRA, NCIP gains MANILA - Leaders of the indigenous peoples (IPs) in Mindanao called for unity to preserve the gains The plant known as Tres Puntas (Neurolaena lobata) has also been used, which is attributed with antibiotic, antimalarial, antiophidic and anti-inflammatory properties. Bernardo Caal Xl is a leader of the peaceful resistance of Cahabn, a collective of 38 Maya Q'eqchi' communities in the northern department of Alta Verapaz in northern Guatemala. This is not the first time. Most indigenous Mayan groups live in Guatemalas rural western highlights in regions including Alta Verapaz and Quich. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) emphasises that these events targeted people who were defending Indigenous Peoples rights. The Strategy provides a roadmap to improve development outcomes by addressing the inequities historically suffered by Indigenous Peoples, while elevating their contributions and knowledge within society. Several communities have demanded that the state commence a broad discussion to draft a water act, but they have yet to be met. Join us and make a difference. CC: la mina CNG no puede trabajar hasta que se realice consulta comunitaria y delimite el terreno de operaciones. [CC: the CNG mine cannot operate until community consultation implemented and area of operations demarcated], Prensa Comunitaria, 19 June 2020. https://www.prensacomunitaria.org/2020/06/cc-la-mina-cgn-no-puede-trabajar-hasta-que-se-realice-consulta-comunitaria-y-delimite-terreno-de-operaciones/, [23] Comudinch. For example: the state invests USD0.4 per day in each Indigenous person and USD0.9 per day in each non-indigenous person;[1] poverty affects 75% of Indigenous people and 36% of non-indigenous people;[2] chronic malnutrition affects 58% of Indigenous people and 38% of non-indigenous people;[3] and, in terms of political participation, Indigenous individuals represent no more than 15% of parliamentarians and high-ranking public officials. Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million people, of which 6.5 million (43.75%) belong to the 22 Mayan (Achi, Akatec, Awakatec, Chalchitec, Chort, Chuj, Itz, Ixil, Jacaltec, Kaqchikel, Kiche, Mam, Mopan, Poqomam, Poqomch, Qanjobal, Q'eqch, Sakapultec, Sipakapense, Tektitek, Tzutujil and Uspantek), one Garfuna, one Xinca and one Creole or Afro-descendant peoples. What is Pionero Philanthropys Vetting Method? The Guatemalan Spring, which began in 1944 and ended with the CIA-backed coup against President Jacobo rbenz in 1954, was only a brief point of hope for the country. MARTIN: Recently, the disinformation led to violence in a remote Maya community in the northern province of Alta Verapaz. The economic elite recuperated their influence and further organized to maintain their iron grip on Guatemalan society following the coup. [11], The most severe impact of the pandemic on Guatemalas Indigenous population has undoubtedly been the loss of human life, especially the elderly, healers, midwives, spiritual guides, men and women who have fallen victim to this disease. Although the indigenous in Guatemala are creating their own solutions, using traditional knowledge and practices to contain COVID-19, the Guatemalan government must treat its indigenous population equally and include those who have been historically excluded by implementing strategies and operations to prevent and contain COVID-19 as well as Guatemala is home to more than 24 ethnic groups, the majority of which are of Mayan descent. Pueblos indgenas, los ms vulnerables ante el COVID-19. [Indigenous Peoples most vulnerable to COVID-19]. INTRODUCTION. In the first six months of 2019, there were 327 attacks on human rights defenders, including 12 murders, most of the victims were of indigneous origin. "Mr. Bernardo Caal Xl has been criminalised because he, on behalf of his community, took a case all the way to the Supreme Court to try to halt the Oxec hydroelectric project," the experts said. - The New York Times. Bernardo's lawyers immediately filed an appeal following his conviction however the hearings have been cancelled or suspended on numerous occasions, including due the decision of 69 judges from the appeals chamber to refrain from hearing the case. El Peridico, 23 May 2020. https://elperiodico.com.gt/nacionales/2020/05/23/pueblos-indigenas-los-mas-vulnerables-ante-el-covid-19/, [8] Escobar, Erving. Pionero Philanthropy Inc. is a s501(c)3Florida registered nonprofit EIN 37-1910514. Thousand Oaks, California. There's a Global Plan to Conserve Nature. Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States, . An official website of the United States government. A newly unsealed federal criminal indictment also describes how MS-13 gang leaders negotiated with El Salvador's top jailer, Osiris Luna Meza, who now oversees Nayib Bukele's new mega-prison. In my understanding, the main problem is the lack of communication between the government and the communities. MARTIN: Again, anthropologist Velasquez Nimantuj. Written on 01 April 2022. Statistics clearly demonstrate persistent racism and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples. At the time of this study, only one English-language paper (Duffy, 2008) was found on the causes of IPV in Guatemala.Duffy (2008) identifies alcohol consumption, poverty, traditional female gender norms, and a lack of access to education as contributing to . She says Guatalama's Maya have a long historical memory of diseases like smallpox and measles brought by the Spaniards, which wiped out so many Indigenous peoples in the Americas. Manuel Picahau gets his news from a local station. In the 1970s and 1980s, the economic elite and the government supported counterinsurgency policies, called by the Catholic church-backed Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH) acts of genocide against the Mayan populations, who made up 83 percent of all victims of the war. Official data indicates that poverty affects 75% of Indigenous people and 36% of non-indigenous people; chronic malnutrition affects 58% of Indigenous people and 38% of non-indigenous people; and, in terms of political participation, Indigenous individuals represent no more than 15% of parliamentarians and high-ranking public officials. Guatemala placed 19th among the 22 countries of the region evaluated. A good example is the Rocj Pontil Project of the Hidro Energa S.A. company on Qeqchi territory in the Alta Verapaz department. Indigenous groups can be distinguished by language with approximately 24 indigenous languages still spoken today. 4 out of 5 indigenous people live in poverty, and 21.8% of the indigenous . But just don't ask the government to invest one filthy cent on that population. Background Health inequalities disproportionally affect indigenous people in Guatemala. During this time, Guatemalas economy grew substantially primarily as a result of the export of coffee and bananas. Indigenous Peoples Engagement Strategy in Guatemala, Innovative Solutions for Agricultural Value Chains Project. For example, there is a national media that prioritises Spanish as the official language while the Indigenous language media have only limited local coverage. This growth however, also widened the gap between Guatemalas elite and poorer indigenous communities. Sadly, Guatemala's indigenous population faces higher rates of poverty, racism, and exclusion than non-indigenous Guatemalans. For the years that followed, Guatemala was governed by military officers and violence against citizens and guerrillas continued to escalate. We need to fight against the lack of recognition of indigenous peoples in Guatemala, as well as to protect and conserve our natural resources, which are so important to our way of life. Nearly 70 percent of the population of Guatemala is outside of the formal economy. Prinsessegade 29 B, 3rd floorDK 1422 CopenhagenDenmarkPhone: (+45) 53 73 28 30E-mail: iwgia@iwgia.org CVR: 81294410, Report possible misconduct, fraud, or corruption, If you do not change browser settings, you agree to it. Sign-up for our free weekly e-mail newsletter. Although the Government of Guatemala has adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the countrys Indigenous Peoples continue to face a number of challenges, especially in terms of political participation, health, employment, income, housing, and education. DOLORES RATZAN PABLO: (Non-English language spoken). Amid more than 20,000 complaints of violence, few facilities are available for women to . And so did several others who worked on this project. Historians estimate that, by 1525, when the Spanish invasion of Guatemala took place, the native population had already plummeted by 50% and, 25 years later, by 80%. 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