The truth about the tragic events in the community Los Pajoques, San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala Guatemala, September 22nd, 2014 Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 1 The truth about the tragic events in the community Los Pajoques, San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala th th Given the tragic events that occurred on September 19 , and 20 in the community Los Pajoques, Cementos Progreso explains and informs the following facts: The Anillo Regional (Regional Beltway) is a project of the State of Guatemala which comprises 8 Departments, 52 Municipal Districts and 419.5 kilometers. Cementos Progreso will donate a stretch of 14 kilometers to support the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing in the construction of such project. Seventy kilometers of the Anillo Regional are part of a new road that will connect the municipality of Santo Domingo Xenacoj to the municipalities of San Juan Sacatepéquez, San Raymundo, Chuarrancho and Sanarate. This project will benefit more than 750,000 inhabitants, who will finally have a road to communicate which, up to now, is non-existent. Although this project represents clear social benefits, it has raised opposition from a group of people that has tried to impose its will through harassment, assaults and death upon those who do support it. The facts described below show that this atmosphere of intimidation is part of a strategy designed and led by people outside San Juan Sacatepéquez. Although the atmosphere of fear lingers since 2007, the most recent pressures began on June 13th, 2014 (see Appendix 1), when the Representative Amilcar Pop requested the Minister of Communications all information related to the Anillo Regional. In his official request, the representative (Amilcar Pop) required detailed information about the owners of the properties that had been sold for the right of way of the beltway project and information about those who had not sold their land yet. On June 16th, 2014, the Comité de Unidad Campesina (CUC) coorganized a rally against the military brigade of the Anillo Regional, against the construction of a cement plant and against the alleged criminalization of social leaders. Given the demands of the protesters, led by Daniel Pascual, the government agreed to set up an information board to discuss these issues. Siglo21 March, 17th 2014 Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 2 A few days later, at the first meeting of the board held on June 24th, the government reported extensively about the Anillo Regional, but the interest of the demonstrators focused on getting the list of the land and the name of the owners of the right of way, in the same way that representative Pop had done before. The government stated its inability to deliver that information because of the violence that had already been detected against those who allegedly had already sold their land. The Attorney of Human Rights, as the regulatory authority of the Law of Information, publicly endorsed the government's position and recommended keeping it under reserve. Prensa Libre August 11th, 2014 A week later, on August 18th, Representative Amilcar Pop walked around part of the Anillo Regional Project and met with people who oppose the project. For the second meeting it was agreed that the protesters would present evidence of the alleged criminalization promoted by the government. However, without explanation they did not present themselves again, as they usually do every time mechanisms of dialogue are established. On August 10th, a group of hooded persons perpetrated another terrorist act. Besides burning construction equipment and machinery, they kidnapped and tortured three workers of the contractor company that is building the road. These three workers were later released but suffered serious injuries from the tortures to which they were subjected. Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 Website: www.congreso.gob.gt 3 On August 29th, representative Pop made a second request to the Ministry of Communications asking for the detailed information of the project. The government refused again because of the risk posed to the lives of people and the atmosphere of insecurity in the area. On September 18th, during the rally against the Law of Plant Varieties, Representative Amilcar Pop met with a delegation of protesters who came from San Juan Sacatepéquez in the Guatemala Congress. The terms of that conversation are unknown, but a day after this meeting, the atmosphere of violence in San Juan would be reactivated. On Friday September 19th, at dusk, the local delegation of the Attorney General’s Office and the National Dialogue System received several complaints from the inhabitants stating that a group of persons, with a list in their hands, was pulling families out of their homes and forcing them to sign, under threat of death, documents allegedly related to the ownership of property in the Anillo Regional, crafted by an attorney known for supporting the opposition to the Anillo Regional and mismanagement of International Cooperation funds. represents the most serious humiliation to which a woman can be exposed. Marcelo Pajoc Matz, a worker from the San Gabriel Project, had recently led the creation of an association of victims of violence for which he was a target of threats. Additionally, the members of his family had been labeled as "traitors" because of the recent sale of land for the right of way of the Anillo Regional. Pojoc Matz was also a witness in the murder trial of Mr. Pio Turuy Chajon who died in 2008 during a roadblock. In the trial, he testified against the three suspects. His testimony and, that of his father, led to the 50 year conviction of the only person under arrest, Silvestre Cotzajay Raxon. Two other accused, members of the community, are fugitives. News Media reports that when firefighters finally managed to enter the village, they rescued several wounded persons and a girl with severe burns who was among the smoldering remains of his humble home. Other injured were also treated. It is still unclear the number of fatalities or the circumstances in which they died. These acts of intimidation and threats continued and provoked that the Attorney General´s Office, at the request of the victims, to file a writ of habeas corpus. That same day, during the afternoon, the presiding judge presented himself to the area, and was forced by comunitarios (community members) to sign a deed stating that there was no act of intimidation. But the atmosphere of violence kept growing until it reached tragic th proportions on September 20 when the Pajoc Matz family was murdered. The hooded criminals acted brutally, and murdered Marcelo Pajoc Matz and five other members of his family, including his 90 year old father and his 19 year old nephew. Marcelo's mother withstood severe brain injuries after being repeatedly beaten and is currently hospitalized. His wife was able to escape through the mountains with their 7 children. Other women of the family were strip naked, tortured and their hair was cut before leaving them stripped and severely beaten. According to the traditions of these communities, cutting their hair Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 Other houses and other people included in the attacked, even in the early hours of Monday, escaped as they could through the mountains. able to locate, were given shelter in different infamous list were also September 21st. They Those, whom we were places to ensure their 4 safety in these times of anguish and uncertainty. All of them have received medical care and other basic services provided by the company. The sequence and organization of these events is evidence of the real reason for the insistence to obtain names of owners and locations of land of the Anillo Regional Project. These innocent people are part of a long list of victims of violence whose only "sin" has been to support the economic development of their community, taking advantage of opportunities for decent and honest work. From 2007 to May 2014, the residents of San Juan Sacatepéquez had presented complaints before the National Civil Police, the Attorney for Human Rights and the Public Ministry, related to more than 50 grave assaults and five murders. All of the attacks are related to the victims’ participation and or employment in the cement plant project or the Anillo Regional Project. Marcelo Pajoc Matz’s complaints were among these since he and his family had been harassed for the last four years. We join the July 24th declaration from the Episcopal Conference which says that "it is necessary to reject violent actions carried out by groups infiltrated in the communities, who are not interested in the community welfare, even though they allege that they fight for the welfare of the community when, reality shows that, what they do, is to manipulate the masses.” To all Guatemalans of goodwill, especially to all employees of the Cementos Progreso family, we thank you for your expressions of solidarity toward the victims and the company. We reiterate our exhortation to build a country based on authentic leadership values, ethical behavior, sustainability and solidarity. To the widows, widowers and orphans, we show our respect, support and sympathy for the irreparable losses. We will not leave you alone. Guatemala, September 22nd, 2014. As in other violent events, Daniel Pascual and other entities have immediately tried to deceive the public opinion attributing the responsibility for the violence, to the Novella family, Cementos Progreso and / or its workers. We categorically reject such accusations as they are absurd and false. Cementos Progreso condemns in the strongest terms the violence and reiterates its commitment to peace, dialogue and to the economic and social development of the communities where it operates, and the development of Guatemala. This commitment has been carried out with social development programs which have benefited thousands of residents of San Juan Sacatepéquez since 2007. Many other community infrastructure projects have been built and more than 800 jobs are currently occupied by residents of San Juan Sacatepéquez. As in the past, we demand that the State authorities ensure the safety, free movement and access to justice for all residents of the Municipal District of San Juan Sacatepéquez, especially for all victims of violence. Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 5 Attachment 1 Report of the tragic events occurred in the community Los Pajoques, September 22nd, 2014 6