Murder of young assistant to Guatemalan environmental organization evidence of escalating risk to human rights defenders

The document is a joint statement condemning the execution-style murder of Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima, an assistant to the Guatemalan Centre for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS). The signatories argue that this killing is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence against land and environment defenders in Guatemala and Latin America, specifically highlighting risks associated with Canadian-owned mining projects. They call for a full investigation into the murder and urge the Canadian government to ensure access to justice and respect for community decisions regarding large-scale mining.

• Jeremy Abraham Barrios Lima, a 22-year-old assistant to the director of the Guatemalan Centre for Legal, Environmental and Social Action (CALAS), was murdered in Guatemala City on November 12, 2016. He was killed with two bullets to the head in zone 4 of the city; the attack is viewed as a direct message to the personnel and director of CALAS, as Barrios managed sensitive information and no personal belongings were stolen.
• A study by the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project (JCAP) titled 'The ‘Canada Brand’: Violence and Canadian Mining Companies in Latin America' found that Guatemala experienced the highest levels of physical violence related to Canadian-owned mining projects. Between 2000 and 2015, across 13 Latin American countries and 28 Canadian companies, the report documented at least 44 deaths (30 targeted killings), over 400 injuries, and the legal persecution of more than 700 people defending their environment and territories.
• Approximately 1 million people in Guatemala have voted against mining on their lands, citing negative impacts from Canadian-held projects such as Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine and Goldcorp’s Marlin mine.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2016). Murder of young assistant to Guatemalan environmental organization evidence of escalating risk to human rights defenders. https://www.ciel.org/news/murder-young-assistant-guatemalan-environmental-organization-evidence-escalating-risk-human-rights-defenders/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Murder of young assistant to Guatemalan environmental organization evidence of escalating risk to human rights defenders. 2016. https://www.ciel.org/news/murder-young-assistant-guatemalan-environmental-organization-evidence-escalating-risk-human-rights-defenders/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Murder of young assistant to Guatemalan environmental organization evidence of escalating risk to human rights defenders |date=16 November 2016 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/murder-young-assistant-guatemalan-environmental-organization-evidence-escalating-risk-human-rights-defenders/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2016murder, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Murder of young assistant to Guatemalan environmental organization evidence of escalating risk to human rights defenders}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/murder-young-assistant-guatemalan-environmental-organization-evidence-escalating-risk-human-rights-defenders/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }