Facing the State of Siege in Five Municipalities Government Decree Number 13-2020
Facing the state of siege in five municipalities Government Decree number 13-2020 Organizations members of the International NGO’s Forum in Guatemala (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 Santa Catalina La Tinta and Panzós, from Alta Verapaz department, and El Estor, Morales and Livingston, from Izabal department; 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.
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