On October 27th, 2009 a referendum (consulta popular in Spanish) was held in 71 communities of Cunen, Quiché, Guatemala. The objective was to ask the community members if they wanted exploration and mining in their territory and lands. I was there as an observer, and I went to one of the 71 communities to be present during the whole process, Río Blanco. The voting was held in one of the community school’s classrooms. Men and women of all ages, including children, assisted. There was an informational session on what mining companies had an interest in exploring the lands, and some stories were shared of what mining has provoked in other neighbor communities. The voting process was then explained, where people would raise their hands to vote, and then sign a petition. Finally, the main facilitator of the discussion posed the question: do you want mining in your communities, your lands? All the community members that were present held their hands, and almost in unison said “No!”. All the collected signatures (or finger prints for people that cannot write) were taken to the capital city, to the Ministry of Energy and Mines and Congress, to inform and share the results. To advocate for indigenous rights over their land, reinforcing and linking it to ILO Convention 69, specifically to indigenous and tribal people’s rights over their ancestral lands and natural resources”. Today, mining is still a controversial issue in the country, and sadly, the balance seems to be weighing more towards the powerful mining companies.
You can see more pictures here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ6gvygmjZ0
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