Facing the state of siege in five municipalities Government Decree number 13-2020

Organizations members of the International NGO’s Forum in (FONGI), representing 31 organizations from the civil society from Germany, Belgium, Canada, Spain, United States, Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as international federations, we express our deep concern for the state of siege declared by the government in the municipalities of and Panzós, from , and , Morales and Livingston, from ; because –on one hand— it comes to rekindle the fear, terror and intimidation that the population has suffered for many years and also recently; and –on the other hand— it makes them more vulnerable facing this crisis caused by the pandemic. This, mainly for the high risk of infection and increase of the vulnerability of those communities, caused by the massive presence of the army and people outside the communities, which it is added to the free locomotion of people and heavy weight vehicles because of the mining activities that have increased illegal operations in that territory.

On recent weeks, NGOs have seen –and we are witness— through the support work in humanitarian actions facing the pandemic, that the communities on those municipalities, peacefully and organized, are concentrated in make known and disclose to all the population, protection measures against COVID-19, in absence of the appropriate measures from the Government of Guatemala. We the INGOs on our side, have provided help through civil society organizations, consisting of food and hygiene materials to the most remote and abandoned communities.

State of siege is not an alternative to reduce conflicts derived from the indigenous, afro-descendants and mestizos people claims of collective rights for the land and territory; it is just one way to generate fear, confrontation and criminalization towards local communities in search of better living conditions.

Those communities need that the government does its duty to protect, respect and guarantee human rights, including the right to health, to adequate food, justice, freedom of expression, to consultation and free prior and informed consent, and no more repression.

We make a public call to the authorities and Guatemalan army, so that rights and guarantees of the Q’eqchi’, Pocomchi’, Garifuna and mestizo communities of those municipalities will be respected in every moment.

Finally, we encourage deputies in the Congress of the Republic, not to ratify the 13-2020 Decree from the Executive Organism of the State, to nullify the state of siege.

Guatemala, July 20, 2020.