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XPolice and community members surround home of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North In the morning of the 5th August, around fifty community members from three different communities surrounded the home of Maxima Acuña de Chaupe. They were accompanied by one DINOES who was armed and several mine workers.
Following recent rumours that the mine is encouraging local mine supporters to evict Maxima and destroy her home, Maxima was very worried that she would be attacked by these men.
XRumours that the mine will evict WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 30th July the daughter of Maxima is told by a concerned friend that during a meeting for workers of the mine, the company was telling people that Maxima should be removed within the week and that as soon as she leaves the house alone it will get destroyed.
XWorkers ordered to harass WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 29th July a worker of the reserve confides in Maxima that Paulino wants to 'get in with the mine' and will do anything to Maxima if they asked him to. Also that the engineers and secutiras (private security of the mine) have ordered the workers to harass and cause her problems. “I am a human being, I am not going to simply follow what the engineers tell me to doâ€
XMotorbike of WHRD stolen Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 28th July, a motorbike that had been donated to Maxima to improve her security was stolen in Cajamarca city, when her son’s took it to get fixed.
XSurveillance by policeman Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 21st July at 4.30pm, Maxima saw a policeman sitting in front of her house watching them. When she started to walk towards him, he walked away.
XSheep of WHRD stolen Cajamarca, Peru - North At 5.30pm on the 21st July, Maixma noticed a group of people had been on her land. When she went to check her animals she saw that one of her sheep had been stolen.
The following day Maxima spent over four hours walking trying to find her sheep. She eventually found it far away tied to a stump.
XMine worker enters land and destroys crops Cajamarca, Peru - North A worker of the alpaca reserve (initiative of Yanacocha mine company) brought the alpacas to eat the grass on Maixma’s land. When she confronted him and said that it was her land he replied ‘you cant say anything to me, I can go in whenever I want, I can walk all over this land and no one can say anythingâ€
XWHRD verbally and physically attacked San Mateo, Peru - South At 7:20 a.m. on the morning of July 14, a man with his pregnant daughter were outside the house of Margarita, they threw water over her as she was working in her field. They then began to verbally insult her.
XMembers of community enter land of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 7th July Members of the Chucumayo community entered Maxima's land holding sticks. They went to the alpaca reserve and then returned crossing her land. Maxima knows that the community is in favour of the mine. Maxima and Daniel stayed inside the house scared.
X30 Police stationed outside home of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 6th July 215, about 30 police officers were stationed outside Maxima’s home, she feared that they would go in and evict her.
XShots fired at home of HRD's La Sierra de La Laguna,, Mexico Mario Martinez Gonzalez and his wife were awakened on the night of the 30th May 2015 by shots. They live in a small mobile home, on what remains of the ranch Padercitas, property also known as El Saucito in the Sierra de la Laguna, municipality of La Paz, Baja California Sur. Frightened, they realized that the shots came from the bushes and trees, but did not know if they were from the direction of the camp of private security company Adamantium Private Security Services. They did not know whether they were shooting but decided not to wait to find out and so they ran to the mountains.
Mario said that there were more than 10 shots, he is not sure how many more ..
XMine workers build fence inside land of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 25th and 26th May 2015 Yanacocha workers came and built a fence, inside the land Maxima believes is hers. On the 25th she pleaded to the workers that they don’t close off the footpaths from her home to other communities. They said that they understood and that they will ask the engineers, then on Tuesday 26th they built the fence blocking the paths. Maxima went to complain to workers, and the head of Securitas (private security of the mine) ‘Joni’ threatened her with a rock. Maxima cannot walk to nearby communities or neighbours as she is now surrounded by the fence. She is isolated and can only move with transport – which is not viable as the checkpoints keep harassing her and stop the cars when she travels.
XThreat to WHRD Colima, Mexico A text message was sent to Candy Cruz Chi asking her where she was going and that she looked good. It further stated that they knew that her husband, leader Victor Andres Cruz Chi was not with her. They told her to leave things and stop with things. They asked her if she thought Victor would look good in a bag and that she should decide if she wants him to live or die and that when they return to Colima they shouldn't meddle in politics and if they stop they would be left in peace.
XShots fired outside home of WHRD Locomapa, Honduras 'On May 22, whilst Dilma Consuelo Soto sat inside her home, gunmen fired shots at her house. The suspected gunmen are also suspects in the murders of three activists from August 2013.
47 days prior to this attack, Dilma's partner was murdered when attackers entered their home and kidnapped him before slitting his throat. Dilma has received precautionary measures from the CIDH.'
XHRD Murdered Locomapa, Honduras On the 5th April 2015, at 10pm, unknown armed men entered the home of Consuelo and LuÃs de Reyes MarcÃa. Luis was pulled out from his home. At 2am LuÃs was found dead with multiple stab wounds to his throat and neck – his throat was slit, his guts were outside of his body. Consuelo is an indigenous Tolupán leader who was granted protection measures by the IACHR for the threats she received in relation to her opposition to the imposition of mining projects on their community territory in San Francisco, Locomapa, Yoro. LuÃs and Consuelo together made a complaint to the police recently about death threats and threats to destroy their crops. The family had only returned to this territory on the 22nd February 2015 following living 6 months of exile.
XProtesters attacked by police Arequipa, Peru - South The confrontation occurred when protesters were cooking communal food in the Plaza San Francisco of the town. The police sought to reopen the free transit.
The police used tear gas and shooting live ammunition. The result was seven injured people: Walter Meza Aurelio (33) and Ronald Taya Carrión (27) by pellet impact.
While Kelvin VP (06) and his sister Araceli VP (08); the Candy (31) and Nohelia Carpio Diaz (35) sisters; and Pedro Calle Mamani (43) were affected by suffocation and beatings.
Furthermore police officers threw sticks at the protesters, to disperse the crowd. '
XProtesters injured by police Arequipa, Peru - South 'On the second day of an indefinite strike, the population attempted to deliver a ruling to the Office of Valle de Tambo, the peaceful march was stopped by a hundred policemen in the Pampa Blanca bridge, where the Police started shooting tear gas and rubber bullets. Many were wounded and Ivan Hurtado Frisancho was arrested, attorney for the Board of users Tambo Valley and legal adviser of the District Municipality of Dean Valdivia.
After the violent repression, the police chased the population to Cocachacra, arresting nine people and injuring 13 people.
XWHRD fears eviction Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 22nd March 2015 at night time, Maxima and Jaime received phone calls from their families worried about them, as they had heard that the police had contracted people from the communities of Cruz Tampa and Chugumayo (in Sorochuco which are known to support the project as many work in the mine) to go and evict Maxima and Jaime.
XWoman injured by tear gas Ayacucho, Peru - South A woman identified as Constantina López Garriazo was hit by a tear gas canister while marching peacefully in defense of Apu Ccarhuarazo in the province of Lucanas, Ayacucho department.
XRanch destroyed by private security force La Sierra de La Laguna,, Mexico During the night of the 4th March the Codero family ranch was looted and destroyed. That night only Rodolfo Rojas Nava, a family friend, was staying at the ranch, for Don Jorge Cordero was undergoing chemotherapy in the nearby city. Security guards of the mine, supported by about 30 individuals, hooded, attacked the ranch, and with little resistance destroyed the yard, the house and the debris of this and all belongings taking two solar plants, kitchen, refrigerator, oven, a cart, 13 cows and three sheep. The next morning after dismantling the ranch, the attorneys of mine Development Zapal presented at the site accompanied by a public notary of La Paz to attest that the ranch was abandoned. With this, the company has initiated a civil lawsuit against the Lamb family for possession of the property or El Saucito El Encantado.
Veronica Huerta is the second woman journalist in Veracruz to have received threats in the past two weeks, the first is Patricia Morales, from the Daily Orales!
XPrivate security of Yanacocha mine monitor the home of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North From 8:00am on the 20th January 2015, Private security started monitoring Maxima's land and recording her activities. As soon as she started working her land, Police and Mining Security arrived in their trucks. They entered her land. All were armed and one Policeman was concealing a gun under his jacket. They told Maxima that the mining company was making an act against them as the land belonged to Yanacocha's mining company. When Maxima's husband, Jaime, started taking photos, Police officers menacingly went up to him to make him stop. Maxima thought that they were going to attack him.
XPolice enter the land of WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North At noon on January 20 about 15 members of the National Police of Peru in the company of several members of the company Securitas, which provides private security services to Yanacocha, entered into the land of Maxima Acuña Chaupe who was with her husband. The police intervention was to forbid them carrying out agricultural activities and prevent them carrying out improvements of their home. None of the police identified themselves and none produced a warrant for police intervention. The Police were not accompanied by any members of the Public Ministry
XPro miners close radio station Santa Eulalia, Guatemala 'On the 20th January 2015, at 5am just as the community radio Snuq Jolom Konob ' de Santa Eulalia in Huehuetenango was about to open. Fifty people who were suppoters of the Mayor congregated outside of the office. They prevented the workers from entering.
Two of the radio staff were injured after being hit by members of the crowd. Maria Victoria Pedro and David Diego.'
A new committee had been chosen by community members who are know for their pro-mining views however the rest of the community had not been included.
When one woman spoke out against this, a man attacked her and beat her. She was left with several injuries to her torso and neck.'
XMine security block the road for WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North 'Maxima and her husband had travelled to her family in Sorochuco to collect bags of potatoes that her family had given her. On there way home they were stopped at a road block at Agua blanca set up by the mining company. The mining security refused to let them through. The security staff started removing the sacks of potatoes from the taxi. The taxi was unable to pass and returned to Sorochuco. Maxima headed to Cajamarca and her husband was forced to walk for hours with the sacks of potatoes until he reached their home.
XArmed men threaten WHRD La Toma, Colombia On the 4th January 2015, two armed men entered the home of Francia Marquez and threatened to kill her. On the 29th December 2014, community members of La Toma, confiscated mining equipment from illegal miners within their territory. Francia fled her home fearing for her life.
XVerbal assault Piura, Peru - North On the 18th December 2014, at 5:00 pm, the Rosaura Guerrero was mocked on her way to a meeting in the town centre, by two men, Pancho Rivera and Fernando Luzon. They told her that if she was a woman of the wetlands then she should make it rain in the dry season... amid jeers
XWHRD charged with usurpation Cajamarca, Peru - North On the 2nd December 2014, Dina Mendoza attended the High Court of Justice in Cajamarca where she has been charged with usurpation and the obstruction of the public space, prosecutors have asked for five years imprisonment and 50,000 soles in favour of the Peruvian State. Dina Mendoza is a leader in the opposition of the Conga Mining Project.
XIntimidation against WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North One day before her final hearing in relation to the charges of usurpation, 20 mine pick up trucks were parked outside the home of Maxima. The trucks would leave and come back but there would always be trucks there. This caused much fear and concern as Maxima was afraid they would attempt to evict her or to enter her land and home if she were to leave.
XIntimidation by the Police Colima, Mexico On the 18th October 2014, members of Bios Iguana and the CIDTZ were having a gathering. One patrol came and asked what was going, once it was explained they left without a problem. However another patrol car drove past. One that has never been seen in that location, as it slowly passed, it could be heard on the the occupants saying 'Esperanza'.
XIntimidation against WHRD Cajamarca, Peru - North Two days before her final hearing in relation to the charges of usurpation, about 20 mine pick up trucks were parked outside the home of Maxima. The trucks would leave and come back but there would always be trucks there. This caused much fear and concern as Maxima was afraid they would attempt to evict her or to enter her land and home if she were to leave.
XWHRD Assaulted Piura, Peru - North On the 15th November 2014, at 11:00am Mrs Aide Garcia Ruiz was pushed by some residents who are pro mining and told her to stop screwing around with the defence of the environment and that if she continues, things will get bad.
XIntimidation against WHRD Colima, Mexico On the 11th October 2014, Esperanza Salazar and Alejandro Bueno were walking in the centre of Colima when a patrol car stopped by them. Two women officials and one man. The patrol car turned around and followed them and positioned itself outside of the building that they visited. When they returned it was still there before driving slowly past them with the inhabitants laughing as they went past.
XRonderos sentenced to prison Cajamarca, Peru - North On 21 October, 5 out of the 6 Rounders who were arrested on the 18th October were sentenced to 9 months in prison on charges of contempt for authority, disorderly conduct and assault on the authority. The Rounders are part of the opposition to the Minas Conga Project.
XRonderos arrested Cajamarca, Peru - North On Saturday October 18, six members of the Urban Rounderos of Cajamarca were arrested: Augusto Cesar Abanto Well, Santos Lingan Becerra, Jose Mendoza Arana Ruiz Nancy Bolt, Cabanillas Goicochea Bernardino Vasquez and Ninfa Cruzado. The patrolmen were conducting an operation to close a club that had no operating license and selling liquor to minors, police officers were present and they arrested the patrolmen who are heavily tied with the opposition to the Minas Conga project.
XAltered photo uploaded Monte Olivo, Guatemala A photo was uploaded to facebook with the picture of Sarah Valencia cropped onto a naked body. Sarah is a member of La Puya and. The uploader has not been identified.
XCapture order against WHRD Piura, Peru - North An order of arrest is released for Cleofe Neyra and other human right defenders as they travelled to vote in local elections.
XWHRD Murdered Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia On the 24 September 2014, Nair Edilia Tay Torres was travelling with her daughter and husband on the highway in Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo when they were attacked with a flurry of shots. Nair was killed and her husband and daughter were injured in the attack.
XForced eviction of community Barrancas, Colombia On Tuesday September 23, the multinational Cerrejón (BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Glencore) evicted by force, the Wayuu community, Jamiche, located in the urban area of the municipality of Barrancas, La Guajira, consisting of 64 families.
XJournalist detained Jupilingo, Guatemala On the 19 September 2014, journlist Norma Sansir was arrested as she was reporting on a rally near Jupilingo. Norma had taken a motorcycle taxi to attend the rally, which was ocurring close to the border of Honduras against cement and hydroelectric projects. At just after 8:00am over ten police officers grabbed Norma as she was carrying out her journalistic duties, handcuffing her. She was taken to the city of Chiquimula and was bought before a judge at 3pm. She was refused to make any calls. She was detained for three days under the charges of 'Public disorder'. Three men were also arrested during the protest and held for the same amount of time.
XSexual verbal assault against WHRD Colima, Mexico On the 6th September 2014, Esperanza Salazar received a Facebook message from a Juan Roque that hated 'what are you doing, I want to put my penis in your vigina, what do you say? will you let me?' “que haces quiero meterte la verga en tu vagina que dices me das chanseâ€.
XDefamation against movement Colima, Mexico On the 3rd September 2015 a Facebook page was created with the name 'Anti Bios Iguana', which aims to discredit and attack the work of the organization and human rights defenders from the Zacualpan community.
XPolice shoot at activists La Paz, Honduras 'At 7:05am on the 3rd September, heavily armed men, accompanied by municipal council officials from Santa Elena, La Paz department, shot at a group of indigenous campesinos who have been occupying and working land, which they say is national territory, in the hamlet of El Nazario, in El Potrero village. The victims ran for their lives and were pursued by 12 police officers and 8 civilians, including the head of El Potrero community council. Their pursuers set fire to the campesinos' huts, destroying the foodstuffs and belongings inside.
There was no warrant served nor legal official present.'
All the events related to human rights in those areas of Latin America where we have contacts are recorded here, with emphasis on women, mining and indigenous peoples.
Hover the cursor over the incident to view more detail; or click on the Lambda symbol to open a corresponding web article.
Description
Link
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 5:8:2015)
Police and community members surround home of WHRD
Specific threat (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 30:7:2015)
Rumours that the mine will evict WHRD
Specific threat (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 29:7:2015)
Workers ordered to harass WHRD
Other (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 28:7:2015)
Motorbike of WHRD stolen
Surveillance (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 21:7:2015)
Surveillance by policeman
Other (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 21:7:2015)
Sheep of WHRD stolen
Specific threat (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 17:7:2015)
Mine worker enters land and destroys crops
Verbal abuse (San Mateo, Peru - South; 14:7:2015)
WHRD verbally and physically attacked
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 7:7:2015)
Members of community enter land of WHRD
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 6:7:2015)
30 Police stationed outside home of WHRD
Intimidation (La Sierra de La Laguna,, Mexico; 30:5:2015)
Shots fired at home of HRD's
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 24:5:2015)
Mine workers build fence inside land of WHRD
Intimidation (Colima, Mexico; 22:5:2015)
Threat to WHRD
Intimidation (Locomapa, Honduras; 22:5:2015)
Shots fired outside home of WHRD
Murder (Locomapa, Honduras; 5:4:2015)
HRD Murdered
Assault (Arequipa, Peru - South; 28:3:2015)
Protesters attacked by police
Assault (Arequipa, Peru - South; 24:3:2015)
Protesters injured by police
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 22:3:2015)
WHRD fears eviction
Assault (Ayacucho, Peru - South; 10:3:2015)
Woman injured by tear gas
Eviction (La Sierra de La Laguna,, Mexico; 4:3:2015)
Ranch destroyed by private security force
Specific threat (Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico; 1:2:2015)
Death threat against reporter
Intimidation (Cajamarca, Peru - North; 20:1:2015)
Private security of Yanacocha mine monitor the home of WHRD
