Indigenous Guatemalan Communities Gain Recognition

Indigenous Guatemalan Communities Gain Recognition

Created: Friday, 31 October 2014 17:20

Indigenous Communities Gain Recognition Through Compensation from Guatemalan Government

After thirty years of unsuccessful negotiations, the Guatemalan government has agreed to compensate 33 different indigenous communities affected by the construction of the Chixoy Hydroelectric Power Station. The government agreed to pay the communities over $155 million for damages. Located in the Northern region of Alta Verapaz, the hydroelectric power station negatively affected over 2,300 families, including the death of over 400 local farmers. The agreement not only contains provisions for “repairing houses, land, sanitation, and the improvement of health” but also illustrates the growing influence of indigenous communities in the the actions of the Guatemalan government.

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Write up by Chase Claflin, GFI Intern