Rights Action
July 2, 2018
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CGN (Switzerland-based company, & co-defendant in Hudbay Minerals lawsuits in Canada) criminalizes Eduardo Bin Pop, impoverished Q’eqchi’ man who had just buried his 13-year old son
CGN (Guatemalan Nickel Company) - co-defendant in precedent setting Hudbay Minerals lawsuits in Canada, owned by Solway Investment Group (Switzerland, http://www.solwaygroup.com/) – continues to “criminalize” (file trumped up criminal charges) against impoverished Q’eqchi’ men and women and burn to the ground and evict communities of Q’eqchi’ people from their ancestral lands in El Estor, Izabal, Guatemala
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Arbitrary detention of Eduardo Bin Pop, community leader who had just buried his 13 year old son who died of poverty-related complications.
Rights Action (recently in El Estor with Jackie McVicar and a documentary film crew) had just made a small contribution to the burial costs of his son, when Eduardo himself was detained
From: Jackie McVicar [jmcvicar@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2018 11:16 AM
To: Rights Action <info@rightsaction.org>
Eduardo Bin Pop is a Maya Q'eqchi' man who was raised near Lake Izabal. In May, 2016, NaturAceite, a Palm Oil company, forceably/violently evicted him and his community, burning down their homes (Mr. Bin Pop had three homes burned). His wife was raped and he was tortured during the eviction.
Mr. Bin Pop and 14 other families moved to to the other side of the lake and now live approximately 3 kilometers from El Estor in the newly formed community of Creek Zarco. They are working on bringing potable water to the community (they need approximately Q5000 to do so), but in the meantime bathing and cooking are difficult.
Many children we saw during a visit to the community were suffering from ringworm (tinea) and other skin diseases.
On June 22, Mr. Bin contacted solidarity groups in Guatemala City letting them know his son was sick and needed to see a doctor, who told him to immediately take his son, Byron Ernesto (age 12) to a local clinic.
Mr. Bin Pop borrowed Q1000 from the Union of El Estor Fish Harvesters to cover medical costs (money they had raised to cover their bail related to criminal charges against them). Byron Ernesto, however, died the next day.
The funds donated by Rights Action [q2000] will be used to cover the expenses of the funeral and burial of young Byron.
Mr. Bin Pop remains detained …
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CGN security guards evict Q’eqchi’ people, June 2018, from ancestrals land
5 minute film [Spanish & Q’eqchi’]: https://www.facebook.com/kukchocmar/posts/238198730102591?notif_id=1530219915857820¬if_t=like_tagged
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Hudbay Minerals/CGN lawsuits: German Chub Choc & Angelica Choc coming to Toronto (Canada) for examinations for discovery, July 5-14, 2018
https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/hudbay-minerals-lawsuits
The precedent setting Hudbay Minerals/CGN lawsuits (initiated in 2010) continue, trying to bring a measure of binding, legal accountability to corporate and mining related repression and harms, trying to achieve a real remedy for the victims. The three over-lapping lawsuits are for the killing of Adolfo Ich, the shooting-paralyzing of German Chub, and the gang-rate of 11 women from the Lote 8 community. Following upon the examinations for discovery (depositions) of the 11 Q’eqchi’ women in Toronto in November 2017, the remaining plaintiffs in the lawsuits – Angelica Choc and German Chub – will now also be examined on the record by Hudbay’s lawyers. Hudbay is the principal defendant in the lawsuits. The now Switzerland-owned CGN is a co-defendant in one of the three lawsuits. Rights Action is coordinating their visit, July 5-14, 2018.
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Tax-Deductible Donations (Canada & U.S.)
Funds raised pay for most aspects of their trip to Toronto, including: pre-trip preparation sessions; acquiring passports and visas; providing family stipends while German and Angelica are away; travel, food and lodging in Guatemala to and from their community (7 hours from Guatemala City); food while flying north and south; travel, food and communication costs while in Toronto; etc.
Make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
- U.S.: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
- Canada: (Box 552) 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
Credit-Card Donations: http://rightsaction.org/donate/
Donations of stock? Write to: info@rightsaction.org
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More information
Grahame Russell, Rights Action, info@rightsaction.org, 416-807-4436
Jackie McVicar, jmcvicar@gmail.com
Klippensteins Barristers & Solicitors, Murray Klippenstein, Cory Wanless, 416-598-0288, www.chocversushudbay.com
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Rights Action, info@rightsaction.org
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