<\/p>\n
Quelvin Jim\u00e9nez, lawyer from Santa Rosa, southwestern Guatemala, defends the rights to land and territory of Xinca People. He is subject to numerous threats as part of his activities to defend the community\u2019s rights in mining projects in southern Guatemala.<\/p>\n
Indeed, he requires the full participation of the Xinca People in the consultation process, as well as a greater transparency in mining companies\u2019 projects.<\/p>\n
For several months,\u00a0the lawyer is subject to judicial harassment, media stigmatization and smear campaign<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Pan American Silver (Canadian mining company) filed a complaint against him in December 2018. The company requested the Supreme Court and the Guatemalan National Bar to sanction him for acting in bad faith in his work to defend Xinca People\u2019s rights. However, the complaint was dismissed by the Supreme Court considering that the lawyer didn\u2019t act in bad faith.<\/p>\n Furthermore,\u00a0Quelvin Jim\u00e9nez is receiving death threats and other forms of intimidation<\/strong>. This harassment includes callings, continuous monitoring of his home, or the presence of a gunman near his home. Indeed, on the 6th<\/sup>\u00a0of May, 2019, an armed man, previously seen near Quelvin\u2019s house chased him on a motorcycle.<\/p>\n However, the investigations conducted by the police still remain unresolved. The lawyer has filed a criminal complaint to the Guatemalan authorities following reception of telephone death threats, but no protection measures have been established ever since.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the 23rd<\/sup>\u00a0of May, 2019, Quelvin Jim\u00e9nez has reported that a group of people, carrying small arms and machetes, disrupted a meeting of the Xinca Indigenous People authorities in Jumaytepeque, Santa Rosa, threatening and beating some of the participants. Nevertheless, this new aggression has not lead to an investigation by the authorities to identify the perpetrators and the motivations.<\/p>\n Twelve Guatemalan and international associations, as Guatemala Human rights Commission, MiningWatch Canada or the International Platform against impunity, gave voice to the concerns about the physical safety of the lawyer and other community members. They call on the Guatemalan authorities to ensure the safety of the lawyer and those involved in the consultation process so that they can take place without coercion, intimidation or threat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n