Bernardo Caal Xol is in prison right now for speaking out against the destruction of the river Cahabón in north central Guatemala. Sign the petition and demand his release now.
Why am I in jail? For denouncing what they are doing to the rivers, defending what little is left?
Bernardo
Bernardo and other members of the Maya Q’eqchi’ Indigenous community in north central Guatemala risk everything to protect their land against destruction. In 2015, the Q´eqchi´s communities became aware of ongoing constructions of two hydroelectric power plants in the Q’eqchi’s Cahabón river. The river is one of the longest in Guatemala, and is sacred to the Maya Q’eqchi’. Construction of the power plants had already stripped their forests and they were losing the precious water they needed to survive. Bernardo and other members of the community decided to speak out, and risked everything to do it.
In response to his protests, Bernardo was publicly smeared with repeated and baseless accusations. In 2018, a judge sentenced him to over seven years in prison – without any evidence.
Indigenous Peoples make up 40% of Guatemala’s population. They often live on land that is rich in resource. They are frequently labeled as standing in the way of commercial interests, and are threatened, harassed, and even killed in the drive to exploit natural resources from their land.
People like Bernardo protect the land for their communities and for future generations to come. Like many others around the world, Bernardo is being punished for protecting the environment by the very people who are destroying it. He must be released immediately.
Sign the petition and demand Bernardo’s release now.
Free Bernardo Caal Xol
बर्नार्डो काल जोल, ग्वाटेमाला
बर्नार्डो काल जोल आफ्नो हृदयमा सबै मानिसहरूलाई राख्दछन् । उनले आफ्नो शिक्षण र ट्रेड युनियन नेतृत्वको माध्यमबाट उत्तर–मध्य ग्वाटेमालाका माया केक्ची आदिवासी समुदायलाई सशक्त बनाउने आफ्नो धेय तय गरेका छन् । उनले उनीहरूको भूमि र प्राकृतिक स्रोतहरूलाई लुटपाट हुन र जैविक विविधता ह्रासबाट शान्तिपूर्वक तवरमा बचाउनका लागि आफूले सकेसम्मको सबै प्रयासहरू गरेका छन् । जब सरकारबाट इजाजत प्राप्त एक कम्पनीले दुईवटा जलविद्युत आयोजना निर्माणका लागि माया केक्चीको काहाबोन नदीमा बाँध बनाए तब बर्नार्डो र आदिवासीहरूले त्यसको विरोध गरे । यो नदी ग्वाटेमालाको सबैभन्दा लामो नदीहरूमध्येको एक हो र माया केक्ची आदिवासीहरूको लागि पवित्र मानिन्छ । विद्युत आयोजनाको निर्माणले वनजंगललाई पहिल्यै सखाप पारिसकेको थियो र अब उनीहरू बाँच्नको लागि नभै नहुने अति मूल्यवान पानी पनि गुमाउँदै थिए । अधिकारीहरूले अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय कानुन अनुरूप स्थानीय जनताहरूसँग उचित परामर्श नगरेको भन्दै बर्नार्डोले विद्युत आयोजनाहरूको काम रोक्न माग गरे । तर उनको यो कार्यले उनलाई कम्पनी र आर्थिक र राजनीतिक क्षेत्रका अभिजात वर्गसँगको द्वन्द्वमा ल्याइदियो । बर्नार्डोलाई बारम्बार निराधार आरोप लगाई सार्वजनिक रूपमा कलङ्कित बनाइयो । सन् २०१८ मा एक न्यायाधीशले उनलाई कुनै प्रमाण बिना दोषी ठहर गर्दै सात वर्ष भन्दा बढीको जेल सजाय सुनाए । “म किन जेलमा छु ?” बर्नार्डो प्रश्न गर्ने गर्छन् । “उनीहरूले नदीहरूमा जे गरिरहेका थिए त्यसको विरोध गरेका कारण र थोरै बाँकी रहेको कुराको प्रतिरक्षा गरेका कारण” ।
आजै बर्नार्डोलाई मुक्त गर्न ग्वाटेमालालाई अनुरोध गरौँ ।