It was led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.). letter On Friday, he called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to condemn the Guatemalan government's prosecution of an indigenous environmental activist and the recent assassination of another.
The letter specifically cites the case of Sofia Tot Aku, an indigenous leader and activist who opposed the development of an energy infrastructure project in the city of Purlha, Guatemala. In 2022, Tot Ac was charged with aggravated theft and aggravated breach of a protected area and was sentenced to more than three years in prison in March this year.
They also point to Noe Gómez Varela, who is an outspoken opponent of both silver mining projects and development with renewable energy alternatives in the city of Jutiapa. Barrera was murdered outside his home in October 2023.
The letter argues that Tot Aku's prosecution and Varela's murder are part of a “larger pattern” of prosecution and violence against Guatemalan indigenous activists who opposed government-backed energy projects, and is a collaboration between the group Global Wit and the group Global Wit. About 200 environmental activists are active in the project, citing a report by NES. Guatemalan ancestral indigenous authorities have requested protection from the United States Commission on Human Rights. In trend.
“In the remaining days of the Biden administration, we will publicly denounce the prosecution of Sofia Tot-Ak and other indigenous environmentalists who spoke out against energy projects, and the assassination of Noe Gómez Varela and others.” “We must insist on immediate investigations into the violence against the people and indigenous leaders who have spoken out against these projects,” they wrote.
In addition to Markey, Grijalva and Barrera, the letter also includes Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (Washington, D.C.), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). , Congressman Chuy Garcia is also a signatory. (D-Illinois), Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania), Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), and James McGovern. (D-Massachusetts) and Greg Cassar (D-Texas).
A 2024 report from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala found “significant” human rights problems in the country, including targeted violence against indigenous peoples and suppression of freedom of expression.
The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.
