Guatemala Indigenous
Trial A Concern
The Rigoberta Menchu
Foundation expressed
concern Tuesday about
the trial of seven
Guatemalan indigenous
people who demonstrated
against Montana mining
transnational, when it
deprived them of their
lands.
The community leaders
were accused of
coercion, threats and
instigation to commit
offences, after leading
rallies against the
company in January for
deceiving them in order
to get their lands.
The foundation's lawyer
Benito Morales denounced
that the Public Ministry
is not acting
objectively, and has
submitted to the
interests of Montana, a
subsidiary of US-based
Glamys Gold.
Morales declared biased
evidence has been
accepted in the trial,
with testimonies from
Montana workers who do
so for fear of losing
their jobs.
According to Foundation
President Eduardo de
Leon, the firm is
pushing for a favorable
sentence to intimidate
the communities.
"They are trying to
criminalize the
residents' rights to
protest a situation that
has affected them," De
Leon stated. |
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