Over the last five years, Guatemalan journalist Carlos Choc has been subject to persecution, threats, and criminal charges. His reporting covers the protests by fishing communities at Lake Izabal, where people have been fighting nickel mining in the region for decades due to social and ecological damage. The journalist has been invited to visit Switzerland by Peace Brigades International (PBI) from April 19 to 23, 2023, in order to draw attention to human rights abuses surrounding the nickel mine owned by Solway, which is headquartered in the canton of Zug.
Writing about resource conflicts is a dangerous activity in Guatemala – something that indigenous journalist Carlos Choc from El Estor knows only too well. He has been persecuted, threatened, and criminalized since 2017, when he photographed and filmed the death of a fisherman at the hands of the police during protests by fishing communities against the two Solway subsidiaries Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN) and Compañía Procesadora de Niquel de Izabal (Pronico). The lawyers’ group Bufete Jurídico de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala, which works with PBI, has taken on Carlos Choc’s case and is supporting him against false allegations.
Use of excessive force by police
The indigenous communities at Lake Izabal in El Estor are protesting against the nickel company because they were not consulted about the mining project and because they are directly impacted by the environmental damage that it causes. The Forbidden Stories network of journalists revealed in its “Mining Secrets” report in 2022 how the company surveilled those who opposed the project, bribed the police to evict farming communities, and polluted Lake Izabal with heavy metals such as chromium. The police repeatedly use excessive force to remove indigenous communities and disperse peaceful protests in the region.
Temporary halt to the company’s activities
In 2019, the constitutional court ordered the mining company to cease its activities in the region, having found that its operations were illegal and that the company had not consulted the indigenous communities. However, the Solway Investment Group ignored this decision. On March 1 of this year, Solway finally put out a press release announcing a temporary halt to activities in El Estor due to US sanctions resulting from accusations of corruption.
Carlos Choc at the Tour de Lorraine
During his visit to Switzerland in April 2023, Carlos Choc will talk about the latest developments in the Solway case and the attacks on press freedom, which he has experienced himself, at the Tour de Lorraine in Bern on April 22. The visit aims to draw attention to the human rights abuses in the Solway case and the assaults on the freedom of the press. It is hoped that this will increase the pressure on the Guatemalan government to protect the rights of the indigenous communities and to safeguard press freedom.