Guatemala: Peaceful Resistance in the Face of Violence
Guatemala: Peaceful Resistance in the Face of Violence
Written by Dawn Paley
Wednesday, 24 October 2012 07:10
Telma Yolanda Oquelí Veliz, who was nearly killed for her activism against mining in San José del Golfo, Guatemala, spoke out publicly Monday morning for the first time since the attack against her in June.
"I want to tell the world that here in Guatemala there is a peaceful resistance that exists, and we are prepared to stay here as long as possible," said Oquelí, sitting upright on a plastic chair inside a permanent camp blocking the entrance to a proposed gold mine about 30km from Guatemala City. "We always hoped no blood would be spilled in this struggle, and personally mine did, but I think it has been a very important test and today I am back in action, and I know that they will not quiet me, while god gives me life I will continue."
~snip~
Things have been quiet at the camp since the June 13th shooting of Oquelí. She was on her way out of the camp when her vehicle was cut-off by a car and a motorcycle and her would be assassin shot three bullets at her. One of the bullets pierced her abdomen and remains lodged inside her, too close to the spinal cord to be safely removed. Oquelí suffers ongoing pain as a result of the shooting. Her attackers, who she thinks are connected to the municipality of San José del Golfo and to the mining company, have never been identified.
The proposed mine was owned by Vancouver based Radius Gold at the time of the shooting. Radius sold off its stake in the project to Nevada-based Kappes, Cassiday & Associates (KCA) in August of 2012. KCA is a privately held metallurgical services company. No stranger to violence against mine opponents, Simon Ridgway, Chair of the Board of Radius Gold at the time of Orquelí’s shooting, was the front man of Fortuna Silver when Bernardo Vásquez was murdered in Oaxaca in March of this year.
More:
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/guatemala-archives-33/3934-guatemala-peaceful-resistance-in-the-face-of-violence