2021 Meeting in Congress to question officials on compliance with IACHR measures

In September 2021, the deputy, Vicenta Jerónimo, held a meeting in Congress to question representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), the Presidential Commission for Peace and Human Rights (COPADEH) and the Institute of Municipal Development (INFOM) regarding compliance with the precautionary measures of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in favour of 18 indigenous communities in the municipalities of Sipacapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacán, San Marcos Department. The Sipakapense Mayan Council as well as representatives of Tres Cruces and other Sipacapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacán communities also participated.

The deputy reminded the officials that measures required the Guatemalan state to provide uncontaminated water for the purpose of drinking, domestic use, and irrigation to the 18 communities affected by the Marlin mine.

Representatives of the communities argued that the State had failed to fulfil its commitment, leaving several communities without adequate access to water resources. The public officials stated that the key element of the State’s commitments was to close the mine, which it had done, and it was continuing with its project to establish the communities’ access to water.

The deputy made the commitment to visit the communities herself in November 2021 to assess the situation and to hold another parliamentary meeting at the end of November in which officials would provide a report on progress to ensure the communities’ access to quality water.