Qamoló kí Aj Sanjuani- People of San Juan Unite

In December 2009 we began accompanying the association People of San Juan Unite, from the Municipality of San Juan Sacatepéquez, due to the threats and persecution that several members of the association have received. The association works actively to defend the land and natural resources of the area. We have been observing the national roundtable talks with the Permanent Dialogue System and the roundtable talks with the Interior Minister. Qamoló kí Aj Sanjuani participate in these talks together with representatives of other communities and Guatemalan organisations.

Background: Qamoló kí Aj Sanjuani-People of San Juan Unite is an organisation that brings together neighbours from diverse communities in the municipality of San Juan Sacatepéquez, participating in the movement for the defence of territory and natural resources in the region. Since 2006, the Guatemalan company Cementos Progreso S.A. has been working on ‘project San Juan’, which includes the construction of a factory and a quarry in the San Gabriel Buena Vista estate and the villages of San Jose Ocaña and San Antonio las Trojes I and II. Cementos Progreso has an 80% share in the project, while the remaining 20% belongs to the Swiss multinational company Holcim, the worlds largest cement producer.
In January 2007, several San Juan Sacatepéquez communities submitted an application to the municipality for a community consultation about the installation of the factory. The consultation, however, was deferred until finally it was revoked. As a consequence, by means of their Community Development Councils but without backing from the municipalities, the communities decided to reactivate the process. They held a consultation on 13 May 2007 with the participation of 8,950 people. 8,946 voted against and 4 in favour of the installation of the factory. The Municipal Council, along with the mayor, agreed to take into account the results of the consultation prior to the authorisation of any licence for construction. Since then, the inhabitants of San Juan Sacatepéquez have made numerous complaints about human rights abuses and a fierce campaign of criminalisation against them.

The recent verdict by the Constitutional Court (CC) in November 2009 suspended the April 2007 decision of the San Juan Sacatepéquez Municipal Council, which had left without effect the application by the neighbourhood to hold its community consultation. The decision by the CC found in favour of the appeal made by the Community Councils for Development of El Pilar I and II, Sector 1 of San Antonio Las Trojes, the village Lo de Ramos and the hamlet Cruz Ayapán, urging the Municipality of San Juan Sacatepéquez to organise a new community consultation so that the population could have a say about the mining exploitation. Although the resolution recognises the rights of the indigenous population to be consulted and should be taken into account by the Executive Body, the results would not have a binding effect. The Kaqchiquel communities of San Juan Sacatepéquez, through their legitimate authorities, have continued make known their availability for dialogue with legal and democratic mechanisms to seek agreements of benefit to the community.