A step forward, two steps back.
Guatemala is full of things that are wrong. One of them is the killing of a community leader, artist, educator, named Lisandro Guarcax. He worked for a cultural organization in Sololá. Apparently his death like this - kidnapped, tortured, murdered - is not the first to affect this group, nor the first in his family. I don't know who these people are who go around killing community leaders, weakening an already delicate fabric of pride and positive leadership in indigenous communities, but it's just terrible.
Adolfo Ich in the middle.
photo by James Rodriguez at mimundo.org (great site, great photographer)
This morning I gave my lesson on mining. We watched the You Tube video on the forced and illegal eviction of Barrio Union in El Estor, Izabal, I told the story of Adolfo Ich as I know it, and that of his family and brother-in-law who is now a political prisoner, the story of San Miguel Ixtahuacan up to now, we watched "The Business of Gold" documentary which came out this year, and compared the brave and inspiration work of the women of San Miguel, Adolfo Ich, and others to the visit we had on Monday at the Campesino Committee of the Highlands in San Lucas Toliman where community leaders are forced into exile for their work and, like Lisandro Guarcax, are killed for their voice and their leadership.
There are many more people out there who are victims of the humongous injustices in this country. Today I thought a lot about them.
There are many more people out there who are victims of the humongous injustices in this country. Today I thought a lot about them.
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1 comments:
Thanks for posting and sharing this type of information with your class and friends. Lisandro and Adolfo were good friends and great men. Best wishes. -James R. (mimundo.org)
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