Guatemala: farmers shot by sugar cane multinational

Five farmers were injured as private guards of the Nicaraguan sugar cane multinational Grupo Pellas violently attempted to expand their holdings in the Central American state at the expense of small farmers.

On May 25, a hundred of mercenary personnel of the Grupo Pellas (heavily armed security guards and other workers) attacked the land of some 90 families of the Q’eqchi’ people shooting indiscriminately, injuring five, one of them severely.

The five victims of Capitalist terrorism are Arturo Chun, Santiago Ical, José Ical, Marvin Mendoza and Héctor Pop.

On February 13, the same corporation destroyed several hectares of rice, beans, squash and banana. Prior to the sale to Grupo Pellas, the former owners of the aggressive ranch Ingenio Chabil Utzaj, managed to evict some 14 Q’eqchi’ communities (more than 4000 people).

None of these terrorist actions have been persecuted by the Guatemalan authorities. 

If you want to show your discontent you can boycott any of the many business that the terrorist businessman Carlos Pellas Chamorro owns or has alliance to: Flor de Caña rum (best known produce of SER Holding, chairman), BAC Florida Bank (chairman), GBM Inc. electronic produce (chairman), IBM (associated to GBM Holding), real state by the Pellas Development Group (chairman), Toyota, Hino, Suzuki, and Yamaha (all of which are associated with this terrorist) or oranges by FRUTAN (chairman).

Guatemala: Ríos Montt sentence reversed

The Constitutional Court reversed by 2-1 votes reversing the recent veredict of guilt against genocidal dictator Ríos Montt, on the technical grounds that a claim against to two of the magistrates was disdained because it was an obvious attempt to delay the trial again, denying justice to the victims. 

This shows again that the bourgeois justice system only works in favor of the oligarchs, tyrants and other high ranking criminals, and that only popular trials are guarantee of true Justice. 

Source: LINyM[es].

Guatemala: Ríos Montt sentenced to 80 years of prison

Ríos Montt in court

The mass murderer ex-dictator has been finally officially designed as criminal against Humankind and put behind bars.

The First Tribunal A of Greatest Risk declared retired general José Efraín Ríos Montt guilty of the crime of genocide (50 years) and crimes against Humankind (30 years) for the massacres committed against the Ixil People. 

However José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, former commander of military intelligence accused of the same crimes, was acquitted, on the grounds of lacking evidence that he had any influence on the operations area.

Judge Jazmín Barrios declared:

We the judges consider that the behavior of the accused Ríos Montt fits within the crime of genocide in quality of author, therefore the corresponding penalty must apply. We the judges are completely persuaded of the intention of physical destruction of the Ixil area. 

Edgar Pérez, of Justice and Reconciliation Association (AJR), explained that:

Under the rule of Ríos Montt part of the Ixil people was displaced towards the mountains, another part was relocated under concentration camp conditions in the so-called "model villages" and a third part was massacred.

The extermination campaign killed 33.61% of the Ixil ethnicity, what demonstrates that there was clear intention of destroying this ethnic group.

After the sentence was read, Judge Barrios decreed that Ríos Montt be interned in prison with immediate effect, removing all benefits of restricted freedom that the dictator enjoyed until yesterday.

Guatemala: military attacks against the People resisting Canadian mine

The state of exception (= military rule) in four municipalities opposing the silver mining project at San Rafael district, Jalapa, Guatemala, by the Canadian corporation Tahoe Resources.

A month ago the same measure was taken against Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetanango, whose citizens are fighting against a hydroelectric project by Spanish multinational ENDESA.

In all cases the authorities have used the pretext of alleged criminal and narco business as excuse to declare the state of exception. Armored and assault vehicles were displayed at the towns affected, causing fear.

The government of Guatemala is in the hands of General Otto Pérez Molina, accused in the process for Crimes Against Humankind against General Efraín Ríos Montt, who led the fascist repression in the 1980s.

Source: LINyM[es].

May Day: Guatemala, Honduras

In spite of the reactionary governments of these countries, the peoples of Guatemala and Honduras brought their class cry to the streets yesterday, International Day of the Working Class.

Ciudad de Guatemala

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

In Honduras especially, there was strong condemnation of the corporate ("libertarian") intervention of the USA by means of private paramilitary forces, directly owned by the capitalists, local or foreign, inside the borders of a ghost state that almost does not exist anymore. 

Source[es]: LINYM (link 1, link 2).