Association for the Protection of Montaña de las Granadillas

Current situation Following the tour of the United States and different countries in Europe by several members of the board of directors of the Association, we continue our presence in Zacapa and in La Trementina. We continue in contact with the Association through the project’s administrators in Casa Campesina, in La Trementina, and the APMG office in Zacapa.

Background: The association was created six years ago in Zacapa, when a group of residents realised that the ecosystem of the Las Granadillas mountain (Zacapa) was in danger due to logging, monoculture, and large-scale cattle farming. They were concerned above all that the water reserves would disappear, given that all of the region’s water comes from the mountain’s forests. The organisation sought the support of the Lutheran Church, specifically from Reverend José Pilar Álvarez Cabrera, and the Madre Selva Collective. These organisations carried out an analysis of the deterioration of the area, and found that the lower part of the mountain had lost 70% of forest cover due to illegal logging and inadequate regional application of the Forestry Law. Now the principal objective is to protect 20-30% of the remaining forest and to promote reforestation. The association’s members want to convert the mountain into a protected area but this proposal has proven difficult and dangerous because of the economic interests involved. Threats against members of the association began when the association tried to denounce the illegal timber trade. We have accompanied the APMG since August 2008. At the beginning of 2009, Reverend José Pilar Álvarez and two members of the APMG faced legal accusations connected to their work of protecting the mountain; The charges were dismissed in the first hearing before a judge.