Fortalecer la Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos y mejorar la protección a los y las Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos

A joint statement addressed to the President of Guatemala by a coalition of national and international organizations, urging the strengthening of the Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos to protect human rights defenders, particularly those opposing large-scale extractive projects.

• Between January and June 2012, the Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos en Guatemala (UDEFEGUA) recorded 145 aggressions against human rights defenders. Of these, 83 cases—more than half—targeted defenders of the environment, indigenous peoples, and development who opposed the installation of large extractive projects without consultation.
• The document identifies a pattern of criminalization against land defenders, particularly between 2004 and 2009, defined as the arbitrary application or threat of application of the law to weaken social responses and discredit activists opposing mega-projects.
• The Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos is described as a key mechanism for collecting information on aggressions and recommending risk patterns. Although its mandate was renewed on January 16, 2012, the body did not begin meeting until eight months later.
• The statement highlights the role of private economic interests, including transnational corporations and their private security forces, in increasing conflict and potentially participating directly in attacks against defenders.
• The coalition recommends that the Guatemalan government prioritize the implementation of precautionary measures issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and report on protection plans to UN mechanisms, such as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
• The document details specific attacks linked to extractive projects: the shooting of Yolanda Oquelí in June 2012 near the Mina Progreso VII (operated by Radius Gold and later Kappes, Cassiday & Associates); threats and a murder involving the Consejo de Pueblos K’iche’s; and the killing of Andrés Francisco Miguel in May 2012 in Barillas, allegedly by employees of Hidro Santa Cruz (a subsidiary of Ecoener Hidralia Energía).
• In Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango, the government established a 16-day state of siege involving over 800 Army and National Civil Police personnel. Critics claim this was used to intimidate the population and co-opt local organization opposing a hydroelectric project through irregular arrest orders.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2012). Fortalecer la Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos y mejorar la protección a los y las Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/CartaInstancia_DDHH_Nov2012.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Fortalecer la Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos y mejorar la protección a los y las Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos. 2012. https://www.ciel.org/Publications/CartaInstancia_DDHH_Nov2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Fortalecer la Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos y mejorar la protección a los y las Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos |date=21 November 2012 |url=https://www.ciel.org/Publications/CartaInstancia_DDHH_Nov2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2012fortalecer, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Fortalecer la Instancia de Análisis de Ataques a Defensores de Derechos Humanos y mejorar la protección a los y las Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/Publications/CartaInstancia_DDHH_Nov2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }