Stand in Solidarity with Indigenous Self-Determination and Demand State Respect for Community Consultations

Diplomatic Corps to Guatemala

Stand with Indigenous Peoples around the world to demand respect for Indigenous self-determination in Guatemala

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Indigenous leaders, communities, and organizations in the United States, Canada, Guatemala and beyond have come together to release a statement demanding respect for Indigenous Peoples’ right to decide what happens on their lands and in their communities in Guatemala.

For centuries, Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala have made important decisions through community consultations, a fundamentally democratic process that seeks consensus and community participation in decisions that affect the use of their land and resources. This ancestral practice does not require State-intervention to be valid, rather, it should be respected by the Guatemalan government and other institutions that impact Indigenous Peoples' territories. Learn more about community consultations in Guatemala and the current threat against them here.

Take Action! Sign the petition to the Diplomatic Corps to Guatemala to show your support for this cross-border Indigenous led initiative. Read the full statement here.

I stand with Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala, Canada and the US in calling for:

  • The Guatemalan government to recognize and respect Indigenous ways of life and the decision-making processes used in different indigenous territories.
  • The United States government to publicly stand against the regulation of community consultations and any other attempt to co-opt Indigenous ancestral practices in favor of corporate interests.
  • The international diplomatic corps in Guatemala to demand respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights and take substantive action in the face of violations to those rights.

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Apoye a los Pueblos Indígenas del mundo para exigir respeto por la autodeterminación indígena en Guatemala.

Líderes, comunidades, y organizaciones indígenas en los Estados Unidos, Canadá, Guatemala, y más allá se han unido para emitir una declaración que exige el respeto del derecho de los Pueblos Indígenas a decidir qué sucede en sus tierras y en sus comunidades en Guatemala.

Durante siglos, los Pueblos Indígenas de Guatemala han tomado decisiones importantes a través de consultas comunitarias, un proceso fundamentalmente democrático que busca el consenso y la participación comunitaria en las decisiones que afectan el uso de sus tierras y recursos. Esta práctica ancestral no necesita la intervención estatal para ser válida, sino debe ser respetada por el gobierno guatemalteco y otras instituciones que impactan los territorios de los Pueblos Indígenas. Aprenda más sobre las consultas comunitarias en Guatemala y la amenaza actual contra ellas aquí.

¡Movilícese! Firme la petición al Cuerpo Diplomático en Guatemala para demostrar su apoyo por esta iniciativa transfronteriza liderada por los Pueblos Indígenas. Lea la declaración completa aquí.

Yo apoyo a los Pueblos Indígenas en Guatemala, Canadá, y los Estados Unidos para pedir que:

  • El gobierno guatemalteco reconozca y respete las formas de vida indígenas y los procesos de toma de decisión utilizados en los distintos territorios indígenas.
  • El gobierno estadounidense se oponga públicamente a la regulación de las consultas comunitarias y a cualquier otro intento de cooptar prácticas ancestrales indígenas en favor de los intereses corporativos.
  • El cuerpo diplomático internacional en Guatemala exija el respeto de los derechos de Pueblos Indígenas y tome medidas sustantivas ante la violación de esos derechos.
Petition by
Meredith Wilkinson
Oakland, California

To: Diplomatic Corps to Guatemala
From: [Your Name]

For centuries, Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala have made important decisions through community consultations, a fundamentally democratic process that seeks consensus and community participation in decisions that affect the use of their land and resources. This ancestral practice does not require State-intervention to be valid, rather, it should be respected by the Guatemalan government and other institutions that impact Indigenous Peoples' territories.

​I stand with Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala and the US in calling for:

The Guatemalan government to recognize and respect Indigenous ways of life and the decision-making processes used in different indigenous territories.

The United States government to publicly stand against the regulation of community consultations and any other attempt to co-opt Indigenous ancestral practices in favor of corporate interests.

The international diplomatic corps in Guatemala to demand respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights and take substantive action in the face of violations to those rights.

CC:

United States Department of State

United States Embassy in Guatemala

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs

Canadian Embassy in Guatemala

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala - OHCHR

Delegation of the European Union to Guatemala